Better Things
by Tardis19
Summary: Better things were coming her way, and she was more than ready to forget about the hell her ex had put her through. Moving away to college, she meets a tall, green-eyed man who leaves her breathless and steals her heart, but danger lurks nearby. There's an angry ex on the loose and out for revenge. AH/College Fic, rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Howdy folks! Here's the new story. It's a M rated AH/College fic. Chapters will be a bit shorter because that's the way they worked out, and I'll be posting every Saturday. I'll let you know right now, this story is a bit of a slow burn. There will be romance (and drama), but it's going to take a while to get there. **

**Disclaimer: It ain't mine.**

**A huge thank you to my beta, Heather, for her awesome beta'ing skills. Without her, this chapter would have been a huge mess.**

** I'm always a bit nervous when I put up a new story, but here's hoping you like it. On you go!**

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><p><strong>"Forget what happened yesterday, I know that better things are on the way." <em>Better Things <em>by The Kinks**

I was ready. No, I was more than ready. I couldn't wait to get away from small town life and start living in the big city, and compared to Forks, Washington, Seattle seemed like a ginormous city. It wasn't that I'd never lived in a big city before, I had, but this was the first time I'd be living in a big city on my own. My parents were nervous about me going to school there, but they accepted that it was my decision, and Seattle was what I wanted.

After high school graduation, I'd been unsure of what wanted to do with my life, so my parents suggested community college. So, I knocked out some general courses and worked my butt off at Newton's Sporting Goods and Outfitters store. It had been hell. Well, it was fine until the owners' son, Mike, start sniffing around. He'd been the popular guy at Forks High who hadn't so much as shown me the time of day, much less had known my name. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked when he started flirting with me one day at work. I shook it off, figuring that I was nothing more than a conquest or a bet, and I refused his advances, but he wasn't deterred. If anything, my ignoring him only made him more persistent. But, eventually, I'd caved in and gone on a date with him.

Before I knew it, Mike and I were exclusive, and we were the "it" couple. You know, that popular and perfect couple that all couples strive to be? Yeah, that was us, and we were blissfully happy. Which only goes to show that I was an idiot. A few months in to our relationship, he started making little comments about my weight, my clothes, and my hair. I didn't think much of it at the time and made the small changes he suggested, not even realizing that I was about to go down a dark path.

Over time, the criticisms became more harsh and more frequent. Mike also became demanding and possessive. He demanded to know where I was or who I was with at all times. I knew what he was doing was wrong, but I blew it off and made excuses to my friends for his behavior. I should have told my parents, especially my dad, seeing as he was the chief of police, but I hadn't. I had kept quiet, and that was a mistake.

Six months after our first date, Mike asked me to marry him despite the fact that we were nineteen, and our relationship had been rocky for the past few months. I turned him down, and that was when I got the shock of my life. We'd been at his parent's house, and he'd made this fancy meal. After dinner, he got down on one knee and proposed. Actually, it was more like a demand. "Marry me, Isabella."

I told him no, that I wasn't ready, and that I wasn't sure I loved him as much as he loved me. That had been the wrong thing to say. I'd never seen Mike so angry. He was furious. No, he was livid. His face turned bright red, his eyes darkened, and he started yelling. He grabbed my upper arms with so much force I felt them start to bruise, and then he slapped me before he called me a whore and a tease and swore I would get what was coming to me.

Now, being the daughter of the chief of police meant that I'd had some self-defense training, but at that moment, I was unable to recall any of it. I'd been terrified and paralyzed that someone I cared about had hit me. He hit me once more, and I felt the skin on my lower lip break, tasting the blood as it began to spill. That was when my fight or flight mode kicked in, and I went ape shit. I started kicking, biting, and yelling as loud as I could, but it only seemed to make Mike angrier. I'd never known fear before, not really, not like that. Mike seemed to have grown larger before my eyes, and he came at me with the force of a bear. Mike rammed into me, knocking me to the ground, and then his fists begun flying. I did my best to protect myself from him, but he still got in more than a few hits. My face felt like it was on fire, and I was certain my nose was broken.

Eventually, I'd been able to get a knee up, and had shoved it as hard as I could into his balls. He let out a yowl before curling up in a ball, his hands cupping his damaged junk, and that gave me the time I needed to get up and stumble for the door. I'd fumbled with the lock before dashing out into the street where I headed to the closest house and banged on their door until someone answered. The police were called, and my dad was livid. If his deputy hadn't been with him, I swear my dad would have killed Mike and tossed his body off a cliff.

I'd never seen my dad cry before that night. I was taken to the hospital to be treated for multiple cuts and bruises, not to mention a broken nose and a busted lip. I'd ended up with six stitches and a colorful array of bruises covering my face and upper torso. My parents were by my side the whole time, and I was incredibly grateful to them.

Mike was charged with assault and battery, and in the end, he ended up being sentenced to one hundred and eighty days in prison and would be on probation for two years. Personally, I felt he deserved more than that, and my parents were furious he got off so lightly, but it was because his dad had a lot of pull in the town. Of course, Mike tried to make the whole thing my fault, saying that I'd provoked him into doing it, and if I weren't such a fat cow and a tease, he never would have had to yell at me. It had all been such bullshit, and I was grateful the judge saw the fallacy in that explanation and stated that Mike's reasoning was that of a typical domestic abuser.

After everything with Mike was done and over with, I decided I needed a new start. A start that wasn't in a small town where everyone knew everyone's business, people didn't see me and whisper about me about behind my back, and I wasn't the poor, helpless victim. I'd started seeing a therapist after the assault, and she was great. She gave me the courage to move on with my life and start over.

"Are you sure about this, Bells?" Dad asked me as we drove the truck with the rented U-Haul to Seattle.

"Yes, Dad," I told him for what seemed like the thousandth time. "I need to do this. I'll be fine. I'll call you guys once a week or even once a day if you want."

"She'll be fine, Charlie," Mom said, reaching over and giving his hand a squeeze. "This is good for her."

Mom was right. This was going to be good for me. Most of my friends from high school were stuck in Forks, working menial jobs. Very few of them had gone off to college. Usually because they couldn't afford it, or they had no aspirations to go. But, me? I decided after what happened with Mike that I wanted to go to college. I wasn't sure what I was going to major in just yet, but law enforcement or psychology were at the top of my list. I knew my mother would probably have a conniption fit if I became a cop like Dad. Even though Forks was a small town, she still worried that he wouldn't come home at night. I think a lot of that fear stemmed from when we had lived in Phoenix, and Dad had worked for the Gang Task Force Unit. It had caused more than a few fights, and they even divorced at one point, but they worked through it and remarried a few years later. Dad loved his job, and he loved our small town. Mom wanted me to be a teacher like she was, but I had no desire to try and teach other people. I'd tried my hand at tutoring once and almost snapped on the kid when he couldn't get the math problems right. So no, teaching wasn't in the cards for me. But that was the great thing about college; you had the opportunity to explore your options before settling on something.

And when it came to choosing a college, I'd done some major research with Mom, throwing out ideas the whole time. I looked at schools near and far away from home, state and private. I took several campus tours and finally settled on one: Edmonton College in Seattle. It was a small liberal arts school with a total of twelve hundred students, and thee campus was only two blocks long. I'd still be near home, but far enough away that I could feel free.

"Well, kiddo, in a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the parking lot of your new residence," Dad said as he signaled to take a left. He pulled the truck past a sign that read Edmonton College, and we wound our way toward the student center. All freshman and new students had to sign in and get their keys to their rooms as well as their class schedules and list of books needed. I was a little nervous, not going to lie.

There was a long line in the student center, and it took a good fifteen minutes before I got what I needed to begin the start of my new life.

"You'll be in Nora Hall, room 201," the guy behind the table said as he handed me my key and room info. I thanked him, gathered up all my papers, and headed back out to the parking lot where my parents were waiting.

I handed my dad the map I was given, and we made our way around the student hall and into the parking lot next to the dormitory. As I got out of the truck, I watched as students, parents, and volunteers carried totes, furniture, and boxes toward the building. Although, watching some of these people, I wondered what they were thinking. Who thought they could fit a couch into their dorm room? I was fairly certain my dorm room wouldn't be as big as the ones on TV seemed to be. I was sort of expecting a room the size of a jail cell, and I'd seen those in person. They were freaking tiny.

"Here, Bella," Mom said, handing me one of the four Rubbermaid totes I'd packed clothes, shoes, and stuff in to. I grabbed the tote from her, and once we each had our hands full, we began the trek toward the building.

Once inside, we headed toward the elevator, but it was jammed pack with people and stuff, so we ended up taking the stairs. In doing so, I got to hear my dad swear up a storm as Mom told him to hush and suck it up. Sometimes, they cracked me up. Thankfully, I was on the second floor and, my room was the first one on the left. I swore Dad almost cried with relief when he realized that.

As I unlocked the door, I noticed two name tags in the shape of suns with the names Bella and Alice written on them. I hadn't been contacted by my roommate nor had I contacted her, but I really hoped she was nice. Both Mom and Dad had told me horror stories about their nightmare roommates from college, and I really hoped I could walk away from college without one of those.

Walking into the room, I was pleased to see it was larger than a jail cell with enough room for the two beds so they didn't have to be bunked. A quick glance around showed that Alice had obviously moved in already or was in the process of moving in. Although, it already seemed to be in its place on her side of the room.

"Isn't that sweet?" Mom asked, and I turned around to see her standing in front of the mirror near the door. Alice had written, "Hi, Bella!" on the mirror in what looked to be lipstick.

I nodded to my mom and set down the tote I was carrying near the bed that was to be mine. Dad told us to start unpacking stuff and he'd go get the next round of boxes. While he was gone, I got my bed made and Mom put away my clothes. The room was pretty sparse, and I hoped Alice wouldn't object to my putting up some posters on the walls. It took two more trips for Dad to unload the truck and U-Haul, and then he collapsed on my newly made bed and closed his eyes.

"Oh no you don't, Charlie Swan," Mom said. "You still have to drive us back. You know I hate driving in Seattle traffic."

"Just let me rest my eyes a minute, Rennie," Dad said, his voice starting to drop off. Mom and I exchanged grins as we watched my dad pass out on my bed. The man lived for his naps, and we loved to tease him about it.

We finished unpacking my stuff and storing my totes in the closet when the door opened, and a little sprite of a girl walked in with two guys behind her. Mom quickly kicked Dad's leg to wake him up, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Charlie," Mom hissed. "Wake up. Bella's roommate is here. What is she going to think if she sees you sleeping?"

"That I'm tired and worn out from dragging all of my daughter's crap up the stairs," Dad replied as he sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

I rolled my eyes at them before turning to greet the girl I'd be living with for the remainder of the year. I held out a hand for her to shake when she threw herself at me and wrapped me in a hug. I was startled, to say the least, but I managed to return the hug. I wasn't a touchy-feely kind of person, so I felt a bit like a fish out of water.

"You must be Bella!" she squealed, a huge smile on her face. "I'm Alice Cullen, and I'm your roommate. These are my brothers, Emmett and Edward. Edward lives upstairs, and Emmett's on the fourth floor," she said in a rush, never once stopping to take a breath. I was amazed she hadn't passed out from like of oxygen.

I smiled at her brothers and gave a little wave before introducing my parents. Mom was almost as giddy as Alice while my dad eyed the boys and gave them a gruff hello. Mom smacked him on the arm and told him to behave, and I buried my face in my hands. Parents could be so embarrassing at times. Mom and Dad stayed and chatted a while, well, Mom chatted, Dad sort of glared and fiddled around on his phone. Eventually though, they needed to head back.

Grabbing my keys, I followed them outside to the truck in the parking lot. Mom wrapped me up in a huge hug and made me promise to call after my first day of class. I snickered, but agreed, and I let her hold me just a little bit longer. Dad was next, and his hug was just as warm and loving as Mom's. He told me he loved me, and that he knew I'd do great. I hoped he was right. Before they left, Dad handed me a small keychain size canister of pepper spray and told me to carry it with me at all times. I agreed.

I waved goodbye as they drove out of the parking lot, and then I slowly began to walk up the path to the dorm. I felt tears prickling my eyes, but I pushed them back. I wasn't going to cry. My folks were three hours away if I needed anything. So, taking a deep breath, I headed inside to start over.

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><p><strong>an: Well? Did you like it? Hate it? Feel meh about it? Leave me a review and let me know. I'd love to hear from you. See you next Saturday.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am amazed and blown away by the response this story has gotten. Thank you so very much! Each one of those reviews or author alerts, brightened my day that much more, so thank you. Also a huge thanks to Heather for fixing my comma issues (of which I have a lot)!**

**So on you go. There's an Edward sighting or two in this chapter.**

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><p>"Tell me about yourself," Alice said later that night after we were in our pajamas and lying in our beds.<p>

"Oh, um … there's not much to tell, really," I told her even though it was sort of a lie. The whole thing with Mike was a lot to tell, but I wasn't ready to tell that story to a stranger that I was living with.

"I'm kind of boring to tell you the truth," I said. "I like to read and write, listen to music, and watch movies."

"Well, where are you from?" Alice asked me as she propped herself up on her bed on her stomach, her feet up behind her in the air. I was sprawled out on mine as well with my head propped up on my pillows.

"A small town called Forks. It's about three hours from here."

"No way!" she exclaimed. "My cousin lives there. You might know her. Her name's Jessica Stanley."

I grimaced when she said Jessica's name. Yeah, I knew her, and I disliked her greatly. Jessica was a horrible gossip who had done her best to make my life miserable in high school.

"Yeah, I know her."

Something in my voice must have indicated my distain for Jessica.

"She can be a bit much," Alice said, giving me a smile.

I let out a snort. "Tell me about it. How about you? Where are you from?"

"Mercer Island," she told me, and I was glad it was dark so she couldn't see my eyebrows rise up on my forehead. Mercer Island was where the wealthy people lived, and I mean the wealthy. There was no way my family could afford to live on Mercer Island. Hell, we couldn't afford to live in one of their garages.

"Wow," I managed to get out and hoped I didn't sound rude.

"It's home," was all she said.

We talked for a while more before our yawns began to interrupt our conversation, and we agreed to get breakfast together in the morning. I had a rough time falling asleep, but that was normal when I was sleeping in a new place. I missed my bed at home and the warm, comforting smell of the woods outside my window. Plus, it was a lot louder here than in Forks. I was used to the sounds of wildlife, not traffic, and I knew it would take some getting used to.

I woke up around nine the next morning and grinned when I looked over at Alice's bed. All I could see of her was some black hair sticking up from underneath a blanket. Quietly, I gathered my bath stuff and my towel and tiptoed out the door and across to the bathroom that we shared with the room on the other side of it. Each bathroom was shared by four girls, and while I hated that fact, I was just glad I didn't have to share with the whole freaking floor.

I showered quickly and threw on my bathroom before heading back to my room, only to run into the most gorgeous looking man I'd ever seen, except I had seen him before. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. He was one of Alice's brothers, but I couldn't remember which one. Of course, that was when I remembered that I was in my ratty and old bathrobe, and my hair was a mess. I flushed bright red and fiddled with the tie on my robe.

"Uh, sorry," he said in a velvety voice that did funny things to my insides. "I was just wondering if Alice was up yet?"

"Oh, um …" I trailed off as my brain shut down and fought to remember what I'd been about to tell him. He looked at me with amusement sparkling in his eyes.

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "I'm still waking up. As far as I know, she's still asleep, but I'll check for you if you want?"

"Thanks," he said. "I'll wait here."

Nodding, I unlocked the door to our room, fumbling as he watched on, and then dashed inside once it opened. **So not** the way I wanted to start my morning. Alice was still asleep, her head still buried under her covers, so I cracked the door open and told her brother she wasn't awake.

"She's so lazy," he teased, a grin playing on his lips. "Tell her I stopped by, would you?"

"Sure," I said, waving goodbye as he walked away. I shut the door and leaned back against it, letting out a sigh. Boy, he was sure was something to look at. Shaking my head to clear it out, I grabbed some clothes out of my dresser and quickly got dressed, then brushed my hair.

By the time I was done, Alice was starting to stir, and she peeked her head out from under her covers.

"Morning already?" she asked, letting out a huge yawn.

"Yep. Oh, your brother stopped by. I don't know which one, but he wanted me to let you know."

"Was he a giant?"

"Huh?"

"My brother."

"Oh, uh , no. He had crazy bronze-colored hair."

"Edward," she mumbled into her blankets. "I wonder what he wanted?"

I shrugged, telling her I didn't know. I watched as she struggled to wake up, and I found it quite humorous because she seemed like the kind of person who was always on the go. She informed me she was … once she'd woken up and gotten some coffee in her system.

Forty minutes later, she was dressed and ready to go, but the cafeteria had stopped serving breakfast.

"If you're up for it, I know a great little diner that serves breakfast all day," she suggested as she finished touching up her makeup.

"Sounds good to me."

"Excellent!" She grinned. "Mind if my brothers join us?"

I shook my head and told her I didn't mind. I certainly liked the idea of seeing Edward again. He sure was nice to look at, and he seemed like a nice person.

Alice sent a quick text to her brothers, and minutes later, there was a knock on our door. Alice opened it and let in the two men I'd seen yesterday as well as two women I hadn't seen before. Alice introduced me to her brothers' girlfriends, Lauren and Rosalie. I smiled at them, not at all surprised the gorgeous Edward had a girlfriend. I was surprised to find myself slightly disappointed. It wasn't like I was looking to date anyone, not after the whole thing with Mike.

The tall, statuesque blonde, Rosalie, gave me a friendly smile and told me it was nice to meet me. The other girl, Lauren, barely glanced at me as if dismissing me. _Whatever_, I thought with an internal eye roll.

We all walked out to the parking lot, and Alice insisted that I ride with her. She led me to a giant yellow Ford F350, and I paused as I looked at it. I couldn't figure out how the hell she got up in it. Did it come equipped with a ladder? I watched in fascination as she reached up on her tippy toes and reached for the door. All of a sudden, a tall man with blond hair came out of nowhere and put his hands around her waist. I was about to shout at him to leave her alone, but a smile broke out across her face, and she turned to the man. She let out a squeal and threw her arms around him, pressing kisses all over his face.

"Jasper! I've missed you!" she shouted as he twirled her around before setting her down and placing a heated kiss on her lips.

"Ugh! Cut it out, guys!" Emmett said, shaking his head. Rosalie smacked him on the arm as she told him to grow up.

"Bella, this is my boyfriend and Rose's brother, Jasper. Jasper, this is my roommate, Bella. She's cool."

I shook his hand, smiling when he told me it was nice to meet me in a thick Southern accent. I watched as he lifted her up into the truck before he offered to help me into the truck as well. I took him up on it. There was no way I'd be able to get in on my own, and I had a feeling that the only way I'd be getting out of the truck was if I fell out.

I learned a bit about Jasper as Alice drove us toward the diner. He and his sister grew up on a horse ranch outside of Houston and had decided to come to Seattle for college because it's where their mother was originally from. Rosalie, or Rose to her close friends, was a junior whereas Jasper was a sophomore like us, and he was studying history, focusing on the Civil War.

"What about you, Bella? What are you majoring in?" he asked me as Alice weaved in and out of traffic like a NASCAR driver.

I gave him a shrug and a smile. "I'm still undecided. I took some community college classes for most of my generals, but I'm still not sure what I want to do. Right now, it's looking like a tossup between psychology and criminal justice."

"Would you want to be a cop?" Jasper asked, and I shook my head no.

"I don't think so. My dad's a cop; he's the Chief of Police actually. He loves his job, but I've seen how stressful it can be and the worry it can cause. So no, I don't think I want to go down that road."

"Well, I'm majoring in fashion design. I'm going to own my own clothing line someday," Alice piped up, and I could totally see it happening.

Ten minutes later, we were pulling up in front of a small building with a sign declaring we were at Joe's Diner. Nice. With Jasper's help, I managed to get out of the giant truck and not fall flat on my face. I saw the others pull up in a bright red Hummer, and I was reminded, once again, that Alice's family had money. I looked down at my Wal-Mart jeans and my Target top. I was certainly out of my league.

I took the menu that was handed to me once we were seated and almost sighed with relief when I saw the prices were more than reasonable. Mom and Dad were paying for my schooling along with the help of some minor loans, so the money I'd saved up from working at the store was mine to do with as I pleased. However, I was a bit of a stickler when it came to money, and I didn't enjoy spending it frivolously.

"What can I get ya?" the waitress asked me once she'd gone around the table. I ordered a platter of eggs, bacon, and pancakes, ordering the same as Edward who was sitting across from me. He grinned and gave me a thumbs up. His girlfriend, Lauren, shot me a nasty look, and I, in turn, gave her a confused one. I didn't know what her problem was with me. We'd just met, and I knew I hadn't done anything to warrant any such behavior.

"She doesn't like other girls looking at Edward," Alice whispered into my ear from beside me.

"Well then, she shouldn't be dating such a good looking guy," I responded quietly, blushing as I realized that I'd just admitted to her that I thought her brother was good looking.

"I agree," she said with a giggle. "It's hard being so pretty."

I snickered at her and let out a laugh when Emmett, who'd overheard her, tossed his head and batted his eyes.

"It is hard being pretty," he agreed. "Women just can't help but run their hands over my body and worship me."

That got a good laugh out of everyone, except Lauren. She shot Emmett a look of disdain before picking at the bowl of fruit that had been set in front of her. Deciding not to waste my time on her, I focused on the others. I was an only child, so I found it amusing to watch how Alice and her brothers interacted as well as Jasper and Rosalie.

By the time brunch was done, my cheeks ached from smiling and laughing so much. I'd had a great time with them, and I felt like I fit into their little group. I certainly hoped I did.

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><p><strong>an: So, now we've met the evil Lauren. Don't worry. You won't have to put with her for too long...at least I don't think you do. As always, let me know what you thought!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! Makes my day! I hope everyone is staying warm. We're being hit with snow and freezing temps again. Yes, I know it's winter, but that's not gonna stop me from bitching about it. **

**Big thanks to Heather for fixing my comma issues. I hate commas. I really do.**

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><p>"Meet for lunch around one?" Alice asked me as we both finished getting ready for our first day of classes. I nodded and pressed a hand to my stomach. I was a tad bit nervous. It wasn't like I hadn't attended college courses before; I had, just not in a setting like this one. The campus was small, but spread out, so I made sure I had my map of the campus with me. I felt like a dork, but I didn't want to be late on my first day of classes.<p>

Walking out of our room, we met up with Jasper, Edward, and Lauren before we began our trek across campus to our respective classes. My first class of the day was a botany class. I had to have two science classes, and I'd already completed a biology class at the community college. I figured I'd get the sciences done and out of the way since I didn't much care for them.

"Where you headed, Bella?" Edward asked as we walked.

"The science building," I told him, vaguely recalling where it was from my tour of the campus. I was fairly certain it was on the back side of the campus.

"I can show you where it is," Lauren chimed in. "I'm headed there as well."

"Thanks. That would be great," I told her, wondering what was up with the sudden attitude change.

The four of us separated once we hit the main quad, and I followed Lauren as she began walking down the sidewalk leading toward the back of campus.

"Thanks for showing me the way," I told her, thinking maybe we'd just gotten off on the wrong foot, and perhaps she really was a nice person. It seemed odd to me that Alice and the rest of them would hang out with her if she was a nasty person.

"Whatever," she said, flipping her stringy blonde hair over her shoulder before stopping and turning to face me. "Look, it's obvious that Alice has befriended you so, that means you'll be hanging around with us, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I don't like you, and I don't like the way you look at Edward."

I opened my mouth to tell her I didn't know what she was talking about, but she held up a finger and kept talking.

"Don't talk to him unless he talks to you first, and don't even think about becoming his friend. Edward is mine. Remember that, and everything will be fine."

I stared at her as if she'd grown another head. This was something out of some horribly cheesy teen movie. I mean, who was she to tell me that I couldn't talk to or be friends with him? I'd already had one person try to dictate my life, and I wasn't going to allow it to happen again.

"Do you hear yourself?" I asked her, folding my arms. "You can't tell me who I can talk to or be friends with. That's not your decision to make. If Edward wants to be my friend, I'm certainly not going to stop him. Although, I have no doubt you'll do your best to keep him from befriending me."

With those words, I shoved past her and continued down the sidewalk until I spotted the greenhouse where my class was meeting. I looked over my shoulder and saw Lauren standing there glaring at me, a furious look on her face. I couldn't help but shake my head at the ridiculousness of it all.

My first class passed quickly and along with it, any thoughts of Lauren. I had a feeling I might actually enjoy this botany class and learning about plants and our environment. Done with class where I'd met some new people, I had to rush to get to my next class on the other side of the campus. I really wasn't looking forward to this class at all. As a matter of fact, it was the one class I was dreading taking. It was another general class that was needed for graduation, and I wanted to get as many done as possible. Since I'd signed up a bit late for classes, I'd gotten stuck with what was available in the fine arts department, and the only thing available that fit into my schedule was dance. But, not just any dance class. Oh, no. I got stuck with Broadway musical dances. It was going to be the world's biggest disaster. I wasn't the most graceful of people to begin with, and I had no sense of rhythm whatsoever.

So, with much trepidation, I entered the fine arts building and found the dance studio. There were nine other people in the class, standing around in various forms of stretching, and the professor told those of us not yet changed to get into our dance clothes. Ducking out of the studio, I hit up the bathroom and changed into yoga pants and a tank top as well as some ballet slippers.

Twenty minutes in, I'd embarrassed myself more than usual, and my face was a permanent shade of red. The guy I'd been partnered up with was really sweet and talented, and I felt horrible for him, especially when I learned that he'd been dancing since he was three, and to be paired up with someone as clumsy and inept as me, must have made him feel like he was being punished.

"I'm sorry, Jake," I told him as I missed yet another step. The professor had wasted no time in getting us on the floor and dancing. She wanted us to practice a choreographed dance scene from the musical _Cats_, and I had been flabbergasted. Had the woman not realized there were beginners in the class, or at least a beginner? The answer to that was a resounding no.

"No biggie, Swan, we'll make a dancer out of you yet," he said with a cocky grin, and I laughed in his face. There was no way in hell I was going to be a dancer.

I almost wept with gratitude once class was over, and I slowly walked toward the bathroom to change, my muscles aching. Once I'd changed, I made sure that I didn't stink too horribly, but applied some more deodorant just to be on the safe side. Swinging open the bathroom door, I came face-to-face with Jacob.

"Where you off to Swan?"

"Um …," I paused for a moment as I dug out my schedule. "Intro to Human Relationships."

"Are you a psych major?" he asked as we left the building, and I shook my head, telling him I was exploring my options.

"What about you?"

"Musical theater," he said before twirling in front of me. "I love dance and theater, and I'm an amazing singer."

I let out a laugh. I was amazed by the confidence he had in himself. Alice was like that as well. Maybe it had something to do with being larger than life.

I waved goodbye to Jake as I walked up the steps to Grant Hall where most of the classes were held. I hauled my sore ass up four flights of stairs to the floor where my psychology class was. The door was open and students were scattered here and there, so I took a seat near the front. I wasn't a nerd or anything, but I paid more attention when I was near the front of the room.

I pulled out my pen and notebook and began doodling as I waited for class to begin and was startled when the chair next to mine scraped against the floor.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" a familiar velvet voice asked, and I looked over and into Edward's eyes. Boy, his eyes were green, I mean, like Harry Potter fucking green.

"Not at all," I told him with a smile, all the while thinking his girlfriend would certainly mind.

We sat and talked quietly for a few minutes until our professor called the class to attention. Dr. Banner was an older man in his fifties, and he seemed really nice. He did roll call, handed out the syllabus, and then sat around talking about psychology and why we were all interested in it. I wasn't ready to share with the world exactly why I was interested, so when Dr. Banner asked me, I gave a somewhat vague answer.

"I dealt with a traumatic event, and therapy helped me get through it," I told him. Sensing that I wasn't going to say anything more, Dr. Banner moved on. I could see Edward looking at me from the corner of my eye, but I ignored him, choosing instead to focus on the notebook in front of me.

With class over, I checked the clock on the wall and knew I had plenty of time to meet Alice in the cafeteria, so I took my time shoving my notebook into my messenger bag.

"Meeting Alice for lunch?" Edward asked as he stood up from his chair.

"Yeah. Want to join us?" I asked, tossing my bag across my back.

"I wish, but I've got another class after this."

"Bummer."

He grinned as we headed out the door. "Nah, it's not so bad. I've only got one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so it works out well."

We waved goodbye to one another as he began walking toward a small building tucked away on the corner. I didn't know what classes were held there, but I guess I'd find out eventually. Heading into the student center, I went up the stairs to the cafeteria and got in line. Nothing in the lunch line looked appealing, so I grabbed a glass of milk and made my way toward the sandwich deli. With ham and Swiss on rye and a side of potato chips on my tray, I scanned the room until I spotted Alice. She was sitting at a round table near a corner, and I dodged people as I made my way toward her.

"Yay! You made it!" she grinned, and I grinned right back.

"I did, and I managed to survive my first day of classes," I told her, giving Jasper a wave as I took a seat.

"Well now, darlin' that's good to hear," he said, flashing me a wink.

"Oh, it turns out I have a class with Edward," I told Alice as we began to discuss our morning.

"Which one?"

"Intro to Human Relationships."

She wrinkled her nose and told me it didn't sound like a very fun class, but she got a kick out of things when I told her all about my disastrous dance class.

"Oh, I've got to see this," she said with a wicked grin as I shook my head at her.

"No, you really don't. It's completely awful. I'm just grateful my dance partner is patient and has a good sense of humor."

"Well, I have to, considering you stomped all over my toes," a deep voice said, and I grinned when I saw Jake and some guy standing near us. "Mind if we sit?"

I shook my head and watched as Alice gave Jake and the other guy a big hug. Apparently, she knew them, as did Jasper.

"Swan, this is my boyfriend, Sam Uley. Sam, this is Bella Swan. She's the dance partner I was telling you about."

I flushed ten shades of red, terrified to think of what he'd told his boyfriend about me. Sam flashed me a grin and shook my hand, telling me not to listen to anything Jake had to say.

"He thinks he's funny, but he's really not," Sam whispered to me, and I let out a giggle.

As I ate lunch, I watched the two couples at the table with me. They were so incredibly sweet with each other and seemed to be very much in love. They were what young relationships should be about. Looking at them, I realized my relationship with Mike had never been like that. That relationship had been all about control, and there had been no compromising.

"You okay, Bella?" Alice asked me, and I turned to look at her.

"Huh?"

"You totally zoned out," she said. "I asked if you were ready to go. Jazz has another class, but I'm free for the afternoon if you want to hang out together."

"Oh, yeah, I'm done. Sorry. Got lost in my thoughts," I apologized, and they all shook it off.

Alice and I said goodbye to the boys and made our way back to our room. As soon as we were there, I tossed my bag on my desk chair and flopped down on my bed. I was exhausted and totally wanted to take a nap, except if I did, I wouldn't sleep tonight.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Alice asked me again as she sat on the floor and scrolled through her iPod looking for some music to listen to.

"I'm fine. I promise."

She shot a look over her shoulder at me as if she didn't believe me, but she let it go. I was fine. It wasn't a lie.

"How do you feel about One Direction?" she asked, and I shot her a look of disgust.

"Seriously? Do I look like a teeny bopper?"

"They're not so bad. They have a few good songs," she protested, but I shook my head. So not happening. We finally settled on Maroon 5 and talked about the decorations we wanted to get for the room before we somehow ended up the subject of boys.

"Do you have a boyfriend back home?"

I shook my head no before asking her how she met Jasper.

"We met in the parking lot on move-in day last year. Emmett was helping him out and flirting with Rose, and I swear I fell in love with him the minute I saw him."

"That must be wonderful," I said wistfully.

"Don't worry, Bella. You'll meet your one true love soon. I just know it!"

I scoffed, not so sure about that. So far, the only guys I'd met were taken, gay, or both. Granted, it was only the first day of classes, so I could still meet someone before I graduated. Well, the one guy I might be interested in was off limits, and I'd already been warned not to "poach" on her territory. Not that I would anyway. I wasn't that kind of girl.

Around four, there was a knock on our door, and Alice got up to answer it. Emmett and Rosalie were on the other side and wanted to know if we needed anything from Target. I didn't, but Alice claimed she did. They invited me along, but I shook my head and declined, thanking them for the offer.

After Alice left, I turned the music down a bit and curled up on my bed with my favorite book of all time, _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_. I'd read it a million times, the pages well-loved and worn, and I was quickly immersed in Harry's adventure. I soon lost track of time, and the ringing of my phone completely startled me.

"Mom! I was going to call you," I told her, feeling guilty that I hadn't called the second my classes were over.

"I know you were, but I decided to beat you to it," she said, and I could hear a smile in her voice. "How was your first day?"

"It was good, although I'm regretting signing up for that stupid dance class," I told her, smiling when she laughed. I missed her. Well, I missed both of them, and I'd only been gone for a weekend. I was really close to my parents, and I really appreciated the wonderful relationship we had with each other.

"Have you made any friends?" she asked, and I was reminded of my first day of first grade. She'd asked that same question then.

"I have. Alice and I have bonded really well, and I'm becoming friends with her boyfriend and her family. Plus, my dance partner, Jake, and his boyfriend seem really nice."

Mom and I talked for an hour, and then when Dad got home, I talked to him as well. They told me to keep them updated and informed on things and not to forget about them. That wasn't going to happen. Hanging up the phone, I glanced at my nightstand and realized it was after seven. My stomach let out a fierce rumble, so I shoved my feet into my shoes, grabbed my keys and wallet, and made my way over to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was surprisingly empty, and I felt a twinge of disappointment that no one I knew was there. I grabbed some lasagna, a roll, and a glass of water before sitting at the same table I'd sat at earlier in the day. I felt a bit pathetic sitting by myself, but I tried not to dwell on it, wishing I'd brought a book to read or something. Instead, I stared out the window that overlooked the quad while I ate my dinner.

Once I was done, I headed out the door, but I wasn't ready to go back\k to my room just yet. It was a nice night out with a warm breeze, so I wandered toward the quad. I knew if my dad could see me walking around at dusk by myself, he'd thrown a fit, but I felt safe. I had the pepper spray on my keychain, and I made sure to sit on a bench underneath a light that was near the closest building. For a while, I just sat there, watching as people wandered by and thinking about things. Eventually though, the sun set, and I knew I needed to head in. Standing up and stretching, I let out a groan as my back popped before going back to my room.

"Where in the world have you been?" Alice screeched with disapproval on her face and her hands on her hips. She reminded me of Mrs. Weasley from _Harry Potter_ when she'd yelled at Ron and his brothers for taking the car without permission.

"Out," I replied, not feeling the need to explain my every move to her. I was nineteen, and Alice wasn't my mother. She was my roommate and my friend, but I wasn't going to question her whereabouts. Besides, she had my cell number. If she'd been so worried why hadn't she called me?

"By yourself?"

"Yes," I told her, grabbing my pajamas and leaving the room to go change in the bathroom. I had to admit, I was a bit put off by her sudden change in demeanor. I gave myself a few minutes to calm down before I headed back into the room.

Alice wasn't there, and I let out a sigh of relief. I really didn't understand why she was freaking out. It wasn't as if we'd made plans to get together for dinner or to do anything, nor did I have a curfew. Jesus. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet. Growling because I'd managed to work myself into a bad mood, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my friend, Angela. She hadn't gone off to college, choosing instead to take community college classes and work at a daycare. She loved it, but she was also one of seven kids, so she was used to being around children.

Immediately, I got a text back from her asking how I was and how school was going. She was one of the few friends that had stuck by me during the whole Mike fiasco. Angela never judged and was a great listener. She'd been my best friend since second grade, and I hoped we'd stay friends forever.

We texted back and forth for an hour until I was fighting off sleep. I knew she had an early morning, as did I, so we said goodnight and promised to keep in touch. Not long after I'd set my alarm, turned off the light, and climbed under the covers, I heard the door open. I could hear Alice moving around quietly, and eventually, I fell asleep, hoping that Alice's attitude would disappear by morning.

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><p><strong>an: Let me know what you thought! I love to hear from you all, and yes, I know I suck at replying to your reviews. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Greetings from a hotel room in Iowa where I'm typing this on the world's smallest computer. My fingers are way too big for this tiny ass keyboard. Thank you all so much for the reviews for the last chapter. Each one is greatly appreciated. A huge thanks to my awesome beta, Heather. She fixes my errors and puts up with my comma issues.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

There was a slight strain between Alice and me over the next two days, not that I'd seen her much, or any of them for that matter. It was almost as if they were mad at me as well, and I couldn't figure out why. Well, I knew Alice was upset because I'd been out on my own, but I didn't understand _why _she was upset. I'd even tried to talk to her about it, but she'd shut me out. I'd called my mom as well as Angela and talked about it, and they'd suggested that Alice, was perhaps, embarrassed because she'd overreacted. Although, Mom did give me a lecture about walking around at night on my own even though I assured her I'd been just fine. It wasn't like I was cutting through alleyways in the dead of night in a bad part of town.

As I made my way to my psychology class, I wondered if Edward would talk to me or if he'd give me the same the treatment as was his sister. I'd had a really crappy day, having fallen and bruised myself in my dance class, and I really wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone's attitudes. Sitting down at the desk I'd shared with Edward on Monday, I got my book and notebook out and waited for class to begin. Edward came whizzing in seconds before class started and sat down next to me, not even glancing my way. _Whatever_. I tried to shrug it off, but I was upset by the sudden change in everyone. Halfway through class, though, Edward slid a piece of paper my way, and I glanced down to see that he'd asked if I was okay. I shrugged and wrote that I was fine. He shot me a disbelieving look and wrote the word _bullshit_ on the paper. I didn't have time to write anything back because Dr. Banner began asking us questions.

As soon as class let out, Edward reached out and touched my arm. "What did Alice do?"

I stared at him, my jaw dropping open. I assumed he'd be asking me what I did to Alice, not the other way around. My shock seemed to amuse him, and he shot me a grin.

"She's in a snit about something, and knowing her, and I do, it's most likely her own fault."

"She freaked out on me Monday night," I began to tell him as we walked down the stairs. "She'd gone off with Emmett and Rosalie, and I was chilling on my own. I went to dinner and then for a walk and didn't get back until a little after eight. When I got back, she demanded to know where I'd been. It's ridiculous!" I growled, getting worked up again just thinking about it.

"That sounds like Alice," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Emmett and I call her mini-mom behind her back. She can be very controlling at times."

"Yeah, well, I've dealt with someone controlling my every move before, and I'm not having it." I scowled.

"Does this have to do with that traumatic event you mentioned in class on Monday?"

I took a deep breath before I nodded. "Yeah, it does, but I don't want to talk about it just yet."

Edward nodded his head in understanding. "Well, when it comes to Alice, she'll come around eventually, and she'll apologize. She's most likely upset with herself for upsetting you. If she hasn't come around by tomorrow, let me know, and I'll straighten her out for you."

"Thanks," I told him, giving him a small smile.

"No problem. Feel free to vent to myself or Emmett about Alice any time you need to. We know how she is," he said with a wink.

I shook my head at him, but I was grinning. However, my grin was soon gone when I heard Lauren's voice.

"Eddie! There you are! We need to get going, or we'll be late for class. Unlike some people, we don't have time to stand around and chat," she whined, shooting me a nasty look and tugging at his arm.

Edward glanced at the fancy watch on his wrist before looking at her. "What are you on about, Lauren? We've still got time to make it to class."

She let out a huff, and I swore I thought she was going to stamp her foot like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Well, I need to talk to you now."

He rolled his eyes at her words and told me he'd see me later. I forced a smile as I waved at them and then headed to the cafeteria. I spotted Alice sitting with Jasper, but I was unsure if I was welcome, so I began to make my way to a different table when Jasper waved me over. With a sigh, I walked over to them and set my tray down as far away from Alice as possible. I was starving, and I knew if we got into an argument, I'd lose my appetite.

Jasper and I made small talk for a while until he finally turned to Alice and told her it was time. She looked over at me, and I was shocked to see tears in her eyes. Then, in a flash, she was beside me, throwing her arms around me, and babbling out an apology. She was talking at Mach speed, and I couldn't understand a majority of what she said. I looked to Jasper for help, but he just sat there with a goofy grin on his face.

I managed to extract myself from Alice's death grip and took a good look at her. She looked really torn up.

"I'm so sorry I acted like a mother hen," she cried, and I was afraid she was going to throw, herself at me again.

"I thought you acted more like Mrs. Weasley. 'Where have you been?! Beds empty, no note, car gone! You could have died!'" I recited in a high pitched voice.

Alice let loose with a giggle, and before I knew it, the three of us were laughing our asses off.

"I really am sorry, Bella. I know that I can be overbearing at times, and I hated myself for snapping at you," she said, wiping away a tear.

"I forgive you, but please don't do it again. I'm not a big fan of someone else trying to control my every move."

"I won't. I promise," she swore, and we were right as rain after that.

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><p>September came and went in the blink of an eye. I'd been so busy getting into a routine and figuring out college life that it had flown right by. Well, that was until Dad called me one afternoon. I was walking back from the campus library when my phone rang, and seeing it was Dad, I answered immediately.<p>

"Hey, Dad!"

"Hey, Bells! How is school?"

"Good. Classes are going well, and I've made some good friends. So, what's up?" I asked because Dad didn't just call without a reason.

He let out a heavy sigh that had me on alert immediately. Something wasn't right, so I took a seat underneath a tree on the quad as I waited for him to answer.

"Mike was released today," he said in a gruff voice, and I felt my stomach drop. I hadn't realized it had been six months.

"Already?"

"Yeah, but don't you worry, Bells. I've got cops in every city in Washington keeping an eye out for him; plus, you have a restraining order. He's not allowed anywhere near you."

The thought of Mike showing up scared the crap out of me, and I began to nervously pick at the grass beside me.

"Do you think he will show up here?"

"No. His mother informed me that he's leaving for California tomorrow, and I plan on following them to the airport if I have to."

We talked for a while longer, and then Dad put Mom on the phone. She told me she loved me, and she did her best to calm me down, and it worked. If Mike had any brains at all, which was doubtful, he would go to California and never come back. I knew what to do if he did show up, and that was to call the police.

I was bit off kilter for the rest of the day, and my friends immediately noticed, but I told them it was nothing. I wasn't ready to talk about Mike to them, but I did end up giving my therapist a call. I talked with her for over an hour about what I was feeling and thinking in regards to hearing about Mike being released. I'd known it was going to happen eventually, but I hadn't mentally prepared for it.

I did my best to put it past me and move on. For the next week though, I was on edge and kept thinking I was seeing him. I wasn't; I was just being paranoid. Eventually, things got back to normal, and before I even realized it, fall break was fast approaching. We'd have a three day weekend, and I was planning on spending it at home. I hadn't gone to visit Mom or Dad since I'd arrived. Granted, I didn't have a vehicle and that made it slightly difficult.

I'd managed to survive my first round of tests, quizzes, and my roommate's freak out. I'd say I was doing well. My classes were going well with the exception of my dance class, but I didn't mind it so much anymore because I had Jake to keep me entertained.

"Man, I'm so fucking glad fall break is almost here," Emmett said Friday night as we were sitting around in his room. It had become almost a tradition for the seven of us to hang out and watch movies together. Well, Edward and Lauren didn't always show, but tonight, they had. I'd been skeptical of chilling with all of them at once, afraid I'd feel like a fifth wheel or, in this case, a seventh wheel, but it wasn't too bad. For the most part, they tended to keep the couply stuff to themselves. You know the whole smooching and lovey dovey words. Not that I was opposed to romance; I wasn't. I just didn't want to see it all the time, especially when it came to Edward and Lauren.

Yes, I'd managed to develop a nice little crush on him, and it pained me to see him with her. I think Lauren knew my feelings for Edward had changed because she took every opportunity she could to touch him, kiss him, or feel him up in front of me. I shrugged it off as best as I could, but it really bothered me. In a way, I was glad I only saw Edward a few times a week. If I saw him more than that, I think I'd have a harder time coping with the whole unrequited love crap. Not that I was in love with him. It was just a harmless crush, like the one I had on Johnny Depp.

There were times when Lauren would ask me to hang out with her and Edward, whether it was at dinner in the caf or outside on the quad, and I always declined. I wasn't stupid. I knew she wanted to make me uncomfortable with her overzealous displays of PDA. Edward seemed to have caught on to what she was doing, lately, he'd begun pushing her away or chiding her gently. I figured he didn't like being used, and who could blame him?

"Okay, Bella, what are we watching tonight?" Emmett asked, interrupting my thoughts. We always took turns picking the movies, and it looked like tonight was mine.

"What are the choices?" I asked, moving from my spot on the floor to the six random movies on Jasper's bed.

I took my time looking at the movies before me. I immediately vetoed the romance movie that had been tossed into the bunch. I'd had to suffer through _The Notebook _two weeks ago, and that had been a disaster. I hated sappy romance movies, and I felt uncomfortable watching them in a room full of couples.

"Well?" Lauren asked snidely, and I rolled my eyes and caught Alice's eye. She rolled hers as well.

Grinning, I reached out and snagged the movie I'd been leaning toward for a while. I held up _Hostel_, much to the delight of the boys and the groans of the girls.

"Really, Bella? Really?" Alice asked with a groan, and I grinned. I loved gory horror movies, particularly foreign ones. Sadly, they didn't have any of those, so I'd have to bring some over next time.

I settled back down on the bean bag chair on the floor after putting the movie in the DVD player. Emmett turned the lights off, Edward closed the blinds, and we were soon encased in darkness. I loved it. The only way to watch horror movies was in the dark.

As the movie played, I could hear sounds of couples kissing, and I did my best to ignore it. I certainly didn't want to look around and see it. It sounded like it was coming from the bed to the right of me, which would be Edward's, and I gritted my teeth. Alice must have seen my reaction because she tossed a pillow across the room and told them to cut it out.

"No one wants to hear the two of you playing tonsil hockey," she said, shooting me a wink.

"Fine, we'll go," Lauren replied in a haughty tone, getting up from Edward's bed and almost stepping on me. "C'mon, Edward."

"I'm gonna stay and watch the movie," he told her, and she let out a huff as she stumbled toward the door and fumbled to open it. I winced as she slammed the door shut with enough force to rattle the bookshelf.

"Dude! What is going on with the two of you?" Emmett asked after he paused the movie.

I saw Edward run his hands through his hair, tugging on the strands before flopping down on his bed.

"I don't fucking know. She's been super clingy for the past month, and it's really starting to piss me off. I've tried to talk to her to find out what's going on, but she claims everything is fine."

"She's jealous," Rose said from her spot on Jasper's bed next to Emmett. She and I had become good friends over the past month. I wasn't as close to her as I was Alice, but she was definitely a good friend to have.

"What?" the guys asked, all of them looking at her.

Rose reached up and flipped the light switch causing us all to wince as light filled the room.

"Seriously, guys? It's so obvious."

"But why?" Edward asked, confusion on his face. "She's got nothing to be jealous of."

"Sure she does," Alice chimed in. "She's jealous of Bella and the friendship you have with her."

Edward's mouth dropped open as he stared at her and then at me. "But—what?" he spluttered.

Alice got up and walked over to him. "She sees your friendship with Bella as a threat to her relationship with you. You said yourself that Lauren's been acting weird for about a month. We've known Bella for about that long."

"Jesus," Edward said with a sigh, his hands in his hair again, giving me a strange look. "Does Lauren really have so little faith in me that she thinks I'd do something to jeopardize what we have?"

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. You need to talk to her though before things get out of hand."

"Out of hand how?" he asked.

"Dude! Jealous chicks can get crazy," Emmett said. "Didn't you ever see _Fatal Attraction_? She could start boiling bunnies or some shit."

"Well fuck," Edward muttered as he got off his bed and headed out the door. Lauren had certainly managed to ruin our movie night, and that pissed me off. I'd been in the mood for some mindless distraction.

"Well, this has been fun," I said, standing up from the bean bag chair and stretching. I felt a little bit awkward knowing I was the reason for the tension in the room. Well, I'd known all along that Lauren didn't like me, and some of it was jealousy, but it felt weird to have Edward knowing that.

"Don't go," Emmett begged. "We can still finish the movie."

I gave him a small smile. "I'm suddenly not in the mood anymore. I'm sorry I've managed to bring discord to the group."

Rose let out a delicate snort and rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease. There's been discord amongst us and Lauren since she and Edward started dating. We only tolerate her for his sake."

"She must have some redeeming qualities. Why else would Edward date her?" I asked.

Jasper and Emmett exchanged looks, and I saw Emmett begin to speak, but Jasper shook his head. I raised an eyebrow their way, and Emmett blurted out that she could probably suck like a hoover, and that's why Edward stayed with her.

"Emmett Cullen!" Rose shouted before smacking him on the back of the head while Alice and I grimaced at the thought. Yeah, I didn't want to think about Lauren doing anything to Edward.

"I would hope there was more to their relationship than that," I said. "He's a really nice guy, and she's a total bitch. I just don't get it."

Alice shook her head. "We don't either. He met her last year at Homecoming, and they've been together since. Edward knows we don't really like her, but he also knows we'll keep it to ourselves."

"For now, anyway," Rose interjected. "The minute she says something nasty to my face, I'm taking the bitch down."

I stayed and talked for a few more minutes before excusing myself. I left Edward's room and headed toward the door that led to the stairwell. I was about to open it when I heard voices arguing behind it. Voices that belonged to none other than Edward and Lauren. I knew I should walk away; nothing good ever came from eavesdropping, but I couldn't. I stood there, my heart beating loudly in my chest as I listened to them argue.

"No, Lauren!" I heard Edward say in a hushed voice, his tone straining as he tried to hold onto his temper. "I won't stop being friends with her just because you're jealous. You have nothing to be jealous of. You know I'd never cheat on you."

"Jealous!" she shrieked. "I'm not jealous of that pasty-white, pathetic waif of a girl!"

_Hey, now!_ I wasn't pathetic nor was I a waif. Though, I did cop to being pasty-white. Not much could be done about that.

"You sure sound jealous to me," Edward said, and my eyebrows rose. It sounded like he was purposely goading her into a fight.

"Whatever. I'm taller, prettier, and have bigger boobs than she does. Only an idiot would leave me for her, and you aren't an idiot, are you, Edward?"

"You need to back off," he urged, not bothering to answer her question. "Bella's my friend, whether you like it or not."

Lauren let out a huff before agreeing to behave. I heard sounds of kissing from behind the door and decided that taking the elevator, at the moment, would be the best idea. I felt a bit sick to my stomach, knowing that he cared for her so much, but there was nothing I could do about it. It was best to set aside whatever it was I felt for him and just move on, but I had a feeling that wasn't going to be easy.

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><p><strong>an: Poor Bella. It sucks crushing on the unattainable guy, and nothing good ever seems to come from eavesdropping. As always, let me know what you thought!  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Woot! Made it a few minutes before midnight, so I still got this posted on Saturday. So from what I've gathered, we all hate Lauren, and I do promise she's not around much longer. Some of you have been very vocal in your dislike of her, and I totally get it. I wanted to thank you all (yes even you, my nasty little guest reviewer) for all the reviews. They're much appreciated, and big thanks to Heather for fixing my errors. **

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><p>"Oh, baby! I've missed you so much!" Mom cried as she gave me a tight hug. I eagerly returned it before letting go and telling her I'd missed her too.<p>

"Mom, you remember Alice, Edward, and Emmett right?" I asked, and she nodded. I then introduced her to Jasper, Rose, and Lauren. Mom smiled at them, but I saw her smile dim a little when she looked at Lauren. Maybe Mom saw what we did, the evil darkness of our little group.

I waved goodbye to them before promising to meet up for dinner on Sunday. All of them were headed to the Cullen mansion, and a mansion it was, for the weekend.

"So you're friends with that Lauren girl?" Mom asked once we were in the car.

I let out a snort. "Hardly. She's Edward's girlfriend, so it's a packaged deal. If we want to hang out with him, she will likely be around too."

"Hmm."

"She's a pain in the ass," I told Mom.

"And, I'm sure it doesn't help that she's dating the boy you have a crush on."

I stared at her, my mouth having fallen open. "What?"

Mom grinned and shook her head. "Don't play dumb with me, Bella. I've known you your whole life, and I've never seen you look at a boy the way you were looking at him."

_Oh, God._ Embarrassment rushed through me, and I knew my face was as red as a tomato. If my mom had seen that, what were the chances that everyone else did as well? I buried my face in my hands, not wanting to talk about it.

"Things will work out if they're meant to," Mom said before changing the subject. She told me Dad had to work late, but we'd hold dinner for him so we could all eat together.

The first thing I did when I got home was toss myself down on my queen-sized bed. I'd sure missed being able to stretch out and not worry about falling off the bed.

Later that night over dinner, I got quite the surprise, one I hadn't seen coming.

"We have a late birthday present for you," Dad said over a homemade dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

"What? You didn't have to get me anything else. You already got me that gift card," I said.

"Don't argue, Bells," Dad said, pointing his fork at me. I nodded and told them thank you even though I didn't know what I was getting. Birthdays weren't a big deal to me, but Mom loved them. She'd thrown me all kinds of themed birthday parties until she realized I'd hated them.

After dinner, Dad made me close my eyes before walking me outside. I stumbled more than once and would have fallen flat on my face if he hadn't been there to catch me.

"Okay, kiddo. You can look."

I opened my eyes and gasped at what was in front of me. It was beautiful in an ugly sort of way. A Ford Fusion in neon green, and I mean _neon green_. It probably glowed in the dark.

"I—how?" I managed to fumble out.

Mom and Dad let out a laugh, and Dad told me he'd gotten a great deal on it. The dealer was a guy Dad had helped out one night, and the man was trying to clear his inventory so he could get the next years cars in.

"He'd had this car on his lot for a year after someone custom ordered it and then never bought it. He's been trying to get rid of it forever and offered me a fantastic price on it. However, there are some rules," he said, and I nodded, willing to agree to whatever they were.

"No speeding, no talking on the phone and no texting while driving. You'll be responsible for paying for your own gas, but your mom and I will cover the car insurance until you're out of school. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" I shouted before throwing myself at him and squeezing him tight. I then danced my way over to Mom and hugged her as well. I never thought, in a million years, they would buy me a car, much less a nice car. I mean, besides the bright ass color, it was a really nice car. I couldn't believe it!

The next day I drove my new car over to Angela's house where we caught up on things and just hung out. She told me that she'd started dating a guy named Ben Cheney who went to her church. He was a few years older than us and worked at the lumber mill outside of town. She seemed really happy, and I was happy for her. We talked a bit about school, and then she asked me about Edward. She knew I liked him, and she knew there was a girlfriend in the picture. I told her the girlfriend was a permanent fixture and wasn't going anywhere, so I needed to move on.

Sunday afternoon, I said goodbye to Mom and Dad and climbed behind the wheel of Iona, the name I'd given my car. I put on my seatbelt, fired her up, and slowly backed out of the drive. Dad made me promise to call as soon as I made it back so that they knew I'd arrived safely. I agreed.

I spent the drive rocking out to music on my iPod and enjoying the feel of being behind the wheel. It felt so incredibly awesome to have wheels, but I didn't want to drive her around unnecessarily. Gas cost money, and while I had some saved up, I didn't want to spend it all putting gas in the tank.

I pulled into the dorm parking lot and gave myself a mental reminder to get a parking permit in the morning. I climbed out and was grabbing my bag when I heard Alice holler my name. I turned around and saw her exciting Emmett's Hummer, and I gave her a wave. She jogged over to me with the rest of the gang following slowly behind her.

"Is this yours?" she asked, pointing to Iona.

I nodded excitedly. "Yep. Mom and Dad got it for me for my birthday."

Alice put her hands on her hips and looked at me. "When is it?"

"My birthday? Oh, it was in September."

"What?!" she screeched, and I swore dogs from miles away probably heard her.

"What's the problem, darlin'?" Jasper asked, catching up to us and putting his hands on her tiny waist.

"Bella's birthday was in September, and she didn't let us know!"

"Now you've done it," Edward said with a shake of his head as he approached us, and I noticed that Lauren was absent.

"It's not a big deal," I told them. "Really, it's not. I'm not a big fan of birthdays."

"Too bad," Alice said, sticking her tongue out at me. "We're taking you out to dinner tonight. No cafeteria food for the birthday girl. No arguing!"

I wisely bit my tongue and nodded in agreement. I didn't realize that not mentioning my birthday was going to be that big of a deal, but apparently, Alice took birthdays seriously.

"Nice wheels, Bells," Emmett hollered as he and Rose made their way over to us. "Kind of ugly though."

"Hey! My baby isn't ugly. She's unique. Besides, I'll always be able to find my car in the parking lot."

"There is that," Emmett agreed.

Alice and I went up to our room to drop off our stuff after agreeing to meet everyone downstairs in the common area.

"How was your weekend?" I asked her as I put away my clothes and stored my duffel bag.

"Interesting," she said, and I waited for her to expand on her comment, but she didn't. I knew she'd talk about it if or when she was ready. "What about yours?"

"Excellent. I got to hang out with one of my best friends, and I hung out with my folks. It was a nice break and well needed."

Alice's phone buzzed with a text, and she read it before rolling her eyes. "Boys. They're so impatient."

She fired a text off to whomever it was before heading toward our closet. I watched as she dug through my clothes before tossing me a dress that I'd only worn once or twice.

"Put that on with those brown leggings and wear your boots," she instructed before pulling a dress off the hanger on her side of the closet.

I knew better than to argue with her now, so I began to get dressed. After I was deemed beautiful by Alice, she fixed my hair and makeup.

"Wow," I said, getting a look at myself in the mirror. Alice had done an amazing job. I wasn't one for wearing makeup very often, so it was weird to see myself all dolled up.

"Geez! We'll be there in a second. Calm down!" Alice shouted into the phone while applying mascara at the same time. I was a bit impressed with her multitasking skills.

"Damn, girl. We look good," Alice said, posing next to me and snapping a quick picture of us with her phone. I had a feeling that picture would end up on Facebook somewhere.

I followed Alice out the door, and we were greeted with whistles from all the boys and Rose as we entered the common area. I gave a little curtsy while Alice twirled around, and I noticed, once again, that Lauren was absent from our group.

"Beautiful as always," Jasper told Alice, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. They were so damn adorable together, and my heart let out a sigh at the look of love on their faces.

"Ready, Freddy?" Emmett asked us, and we all nodded. I didn't have a clue as to where we were going, but it must have been some place fancy since we were all dressed up.

"So where are we going?" I asked them once we were all buckled in.

"The Book Bindery," Edward told me. "The restaurant is in an old building that used to be a book bindery, hence the name."

We arrived at the restaurant, and I thanked Edward as he helped me out of the Hummer. We all walked in together, and it almost felt like a group date, except that I wasn't dating Edward. I did wonder where Lauren was and why she didn't come with, but it could be they offered, and she declined.

"No Lauren?" I asked him quietly as we went inside. Edward shook his head and left it at that. Obviously something had happened over the three day weekend, and no one wanted to talk about it. I told myself it wasn't my business anyway and tried to shrug it off.

A few minutes later, the six of us were seated in what looked to be a greenhouse, and I almost had a heart attack when I looked at the prices on the menu.

"This is our treat, so order what you want," Alice told me, and I opened my mouth to argue, but I was quickly shut down by one look from her. I heaved a sigh and went back to looking at the menu. I was uncomfortable with them spending so much money on me, and it would be quite a bit seeing as how the cheapest thing on the menu was twelve dollars, and that was an appetizer.

I took a few minutes to look through the limited menu and decided that the pan seared halibut sounded delicious even as I winced at the price. We all gave our orders and sat around talking about our weekend.

"I take it you had a good break?" Edward asked, and I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I did. I certainly didn't think I'd be coming back from break with a car, and I'm still in a bit of shock about it."

"I think it's super cool that your folks did that," Rose said.

"I was floored," I told them. "Shocked, really. Sowhat did you guys do over the break?"

"Ed, Jasper, and I played some ball," Emmett said with a shrug. "Nothing exciting or anything."

"Yeah, I went shopping with Esme, their mom, and Alice. We went to a movie and whatnot, but basically, we all just relaxed," Rose told me.

Once again, I noticed that Lauren hadn't been mentioned, but I knew she'd gone with them. I figured I'd broach the subject later as I didn't want to ruin our dinner.

Soon, our entrees were in front of us, and I barely contained the moan that wanted to leave my lips as I took a bite. It was delicious, and considering what it cost, it should have been.

"How's your food?" Edward asked from across the table.

"Excellent. Yours?" I asked him, looking at the pork loin on his plate.

"Fantastic. Want a bite?" he asked, and I made a face. I hated pork. "Just give it a try."

Sighing, I took the small piece he offered and took a tiny bite. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I offered him some fish in return and caught the smile playing on Alice's lips. I raised an eyebrow at her, but she shook her head and resumed her conversation with Rose.

"Not bad," Edward said after eating the bite I'd given him.

After dinner was done and the astronomically large bill was paid, we went back to the dorms. It was closing in on eight, and I still had some reading to finish for my botany and criminology classes. I thanked them profusely for dinner, and I was wished a happy belated birthday by all of them.

"Full?" Edward asked as he held out a hand to help me out of the backseat of the Hummer.

"Yeah. You may have to carry me up the stairs," I said, only half joking. I'd eaten so much, and then Emmett had insisted on dessert, and I'd been unable to resist the call of cheesecake.

"Sure," he said, turning around so his back was facing me. "Hop on."

I suddenly felt as if we'd entered a different friendship dimension, and it almost felt like flirting. As much as I disliked Lauren, I wouldn't do that to her.

"Nah, I'm good," I declined. "Thanks for the offer though."

There was no way I could've handled being that close to him, and I was really glad I declined when I saw Lauren standing in the common area with some of her friends. She shot me a nasty look before glaring at Edward. I sensed trouble in paradise. Was she pissed that he'd gone out with us instead of hanging out with her, or maybe that they hadn't invited her along? Either way, she didn't look happy to see any of us neither did her friends. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, so I told them I had some reading to catch up on, and then I made a beeline for the stairs. I felt slightly bad about leaving, but not bad enough to stick around. Whatever was going on, it was between my friends and Lauren, and it wasn't my business. Not that I wasn't dying to know, because I totally was.

I spent the next hour reading and taking notes before I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open. It had been a long day filled with lots of excitement, and it was catching up with me. Closing my book and notebook, I shoved them into my bag before changing into my pajamas and climbing into bed. I made sure my alarm was set and snuggled under my covers. I must have drifted off to sleep because, a while later, I was jolted awake by the slamming of a door. I shot up in my bed, terrified.

"Crap! Sorry, Bella," Alice said, irritation evident in her voice. Something was obviously wrong.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, burrowing back under my blankets.

"No. No, I'm not. I'm just—argh! I'm so fed up with her and her crap!"

"Her who?' I asked. Though, I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

"Who do you think? Lauren, of course. God, she's such a bitch!" Alice shouted, and I hadn't seen her that worked up since she'd gotten mad at me a month ago.

"Who does she think she is? Does she think that the rest of us don't see her for what she really is? She's a gold digging slut, and I'll be damned if I allow my twin brother to stay with her any longer."

I kept quiet and just let Alice vent. She obviously needed to get it off her chest, and who could blame her?

"She threw a huge fit at our house, embarrassed the hell out of Edward, and Mom kicked her out."

"Wait. Hold up. Your mom kicked Lauren out of her house?" I asked, enjoying the thought far more than I should have.

"Yep," she said, popping the "P" as she sat down on her bed and ran her hand through her hair much like her brother did.

"Can I ask why?"

"As you know, we tolerate Lauren for Edward's sake, and our parents are the same way. Mom thinks Lauren will do anything and everything she can to trap Edward into marriage, and Mom's not about to let that happen," Alice said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Lauren usually plays nice when my parents are around, but she started bitching about you and how you were trying to come between her and Edward."

"What? No, I'm not. I wouldn't do that."

"I know you wouldn't even though it's obvious you're head over heels for him." she grinned.

"No, I'm not," I scoffed. "I just think he's cute, and I might like him a little."

"Whatever," she sang. "Anyway, I've talked to Mom and Dad about you a lot, since you're like my closest friend, so they weren't buying a word of what Lauren was selling. Then Lauren called you a conniving bitch, and that's when Mom lost it. She told Lauren she needed to leave, and she wasn't welcome in her house."

"Wow," I said, staring at Alice. I couldn't believe her mother had defended me like that. She didn't even know me.

"Lauren was furious, and she demanded that Edward bring her back here, but Edward told her no. He told her to call a cab."

"No!" I gasped. "Did he really?"

Alice nodded with glee. "Oh, yeah. Her face turned bright red, and she stomped out of the house, slamming the door on the way out. She called one of her friends to come and get her."

I sat there amazed by the turn of events.

"But, they're still together, right?"

Alice shrugged. "I think so, but I don't think they'll be staying together for much longer. Edward's getting tired of her attitude and particularly with the way she talks shit about you. He's not very happy about that."

I tried to ignore the giddy feeling that was rushing over me and told myself Edward just didn't appreciate people talking badly about his friends.

I had a hard time falling asleep that night. My mind was going over everything Alice had said, and I was trying my best not to read too much into things. Edward just happened to be a really nice guy and a friend, nothing more. Eventually, I fell asleep, and that was the first night I dreamt of Edward.

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><p><strong>an: See? Things are moving on. I did warn you this was a slow burn. Lauren is well on her way out the door. As always let me know what you thought.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You all are awesome. Thanks so much for your reviews! Things are starting to move along, so I'll let you get to it. Big thanks to Heather for being such an awesome beta!**

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><p>"Holy crap, Edward! You look awful!" I exclaimed as he took his seat next to me in class.<p>

He shot me a dirty look and muttered thanks, but he really did look awful. His skin was paler than normal, and he had dark circles under his eyes, almost giving him a vampirish look.

"Were you up all night studying for the test?" I asked him, and he shook his head.

"I wish. I'm gonna end up failing this test. I didn't get much studying done at all," he told me quietly.

"Why not?"

He shook his head and told me he'd tell me later. I nodded and accepted the test that was being handed to me by Dr. Banner. Unlike Edward, I'd studied and felt confident that I'd do well on the test. I was one of the first people finished, and I handed in my test before leaving. There was a small sitting area outside the classroom, so I took a seat and cracked open a book to wait for Edward.

As I was sitting there, I saw Lauren walking down the hall with one of her friends, Bree or something. I prayed she wouldn't see me because I had no doubt she'd have something unpleasant to say. Ducking my head so that my hair fell in front of my face, I pulled my book closer to me and sighed with relief when the two of them passed by.

"Can you believe she said that to me?" I heard Lauren ask her friend. "I mean, really. I'm his girlfriend. She can't talk to me like that."

Her friend made some noise of agreement, and I lost the rest of the conversation as they turned the corner. Looked like someone wasn't happy with the way things had gone over the weekend.

A few minutes after Lauren went by, Edward walked out of the classroom, and he looked really upset. He gave me a small smile, but it was forced, and I couldn't help but reach out and give his arm a gentle squeeze.

"That bad, huh?'

He nodded, a hand going to his hair. "I think so."

"I think you'll be okay. One test isn't going to kill you, and you have an 'A' in the class right now."

"I guess," he said, now shoving his hands into his pocket.

"Want to tell me what's going on with you? You've been different for the past week," I commented as we began walking toward the stairwell.

"Shit with Lauren. She's been talking marriage and crap, and I'm so not ready for that. Honestly, after the way she acted at my house and the tension she caused while she was there, I'm not sure what I feel for her anymore. I mean, whatever I've felt, it was never true love, but …" he trailed off in a quiet voice with a guilty look on his face.

"You're young, and I think it's completely understandable that you aren't ready to get married. I know I sure as hell wasn't when I was asked," I told him before I realized I'd said too much. I let out a heavy sigh, and I hoped like hell he'd ignore what I'd said, but he didn't.

"What?" he asked, staring at me with a confused expression.

"My ex asked me, but I wasn't ready, so I told him no."

I didn't feel the need to elaborate on what had happened after I'd said no. Edward didn't need to know the details.

"Is that why you broke up?" he wanted to know.

"It led to why we broke up," I replied vaguely and began to walk a little faster.

"I think Lauren and I are headed that way. I'm sure Alice told you about Lauren's attitude while we were at home?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, well, it's getting out of control. She's rude and demanding, and now she wants to get married? She's giving me whiplash, and I'm left feeling not only confused, but angry as well."

"Maybe the two of you need to sit down and have a talk. Figure things out," I suggested even though it pained me to do so.

"I know we do, but every time I get her alone to talk to her, she tries to distract me with sex or other things," he told me, his face flushing a bit.

"So make her listen to you," I insisted. He nodded his agreement, and then we parted ways. He was off to class, and I was off to meet Alice and Jasper in the cafeteria. It had become tradition for the three of us to eat lunch together on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays was the whole gang minus Lauren because she had class at the time we went. Sure, we could have changed to a later time, but none of us really wanted to and Edward didn't seem to mind.

"How did your test go?" Alice asked me once I'd gone through the line and was sitting down at the table.

"I think it went really well. Edward, on the other hand, isn't feeling so great about it."

She frowned at my words. "I'm worried about him."

"Me, too," I told her, but not elaborating much more. I knew Alice and Edward were extremely close, but I wasn't sure if he'd want me to divulge the information he'd shared with me earlier, so I kept my mouth shut.

The rest of my day was uneventful and quiet. Alice and Jasper had gone out on a date, so I went over to Rose's room to see if she wanted to go to the diner for dinner. I was just about to knock on her door when I heard moans and other sexual sounds coming from behind it. I escaped as quickly as possible. There were some things I just didn't need to hear. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I scurried toward the stairwell to head to the diner by myself.

It had been some time since I'd eaten alone, and I felt a bit pathetic as I ordered my burger and fries before sitting at a table by myself. I saw a few people I knew from different classes, but I didn't know them well enough to join them for dinner.

"All by yourself?" a voice asked, and I looked up to see Jake and Sam standing next to my table.

"Yep," I nodded. "But feel free to join me so I don't seem so pathetic."

They let out laughs before setting their food down on the table and taking their seats. I felt a lot better and less self-conscious now that I had someone at the table. I didn't often get to hang out with Jake and Sam, mainly because they had jobs, lived off campus, and were always busy doing plays or some kind of theater work. I did see Jake three times a week in our horrid dance class which, by the way, wasn't getting any easier. If anything, our professor kept picking more complicated dances for us to learn and for me to fail. My classmates were so used to seeing me fall, trip, or stumble across my own feet that it didn't faze them anymore.

"There's supposed to be this awesome Halloween party this weekend. Why don't you come? You can bring the Cullens as well," Sam suggested after taking a sip of his Coke.

I wasn't one for parties. As a matter of fact, I'd never been to a college party, and I honestly didn't think I was missing anything. Alice, on the other hand, loved going to parties, so she went to them with Jasper or Rose and Emmett quite a bit. Thankfully, she never came home plastered or anything.

"I'll talk to Alice about it. I'm sure she'd love to go, especially since it's a Halloween party," I told him. Alice loved holidays, and she'd decorated the hell out of our room for Halloween. We had ghosts, cobwebs, skeletons, and other Halloween themed crap on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't that I didn't like Halloween, I did, but I wasn't one for going all out like Alice.

"Awesome!" Sam exclaimed.

We ate and talked for almost an hour before saying our goodbyes and going our separate ways. Well, me going one way and them going the other. It had been nice to see them, I thought to myself as I made my way across campus. It was starting to get dark, so I hurried my steps a bit more until I entered the dorm.

I was a bit startled to find there was a party going on in the common area, or at least it looked that way. There were tons of students lounging on chairs or standing around, and then I noticed there was a sports game playing on the large TV in the room. That certainly explained everything. I spied Emmett and Rose cozied up on a couch watching the game and waved when they saw me. Heading up the stairs, I opened my room and found it empty although I wasn't really surprised. A lot of times, Alice came in late when she was out with Jasper. Alone in my room, I read, took notes, and studied before calling it a night.

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><p>"No," I argued as Alice thrust a slightly skimpy outfit at me. "No way in hell are you getting me into that."<p>

Twenty minutes later, she'd done just that. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out how she'd gotten me to agree to wear this farce of a costume. It wasn't something I would have ever picked out to wear, and Alice knew it. She enjoyed pushing me out of my comfort zone.

"You look amazing!" Alice gushed. "You'll definitely be getting some looks tonight."

"Great," I muttered. "Nothing I love more than the unwanted attention of drunken cretins."

Once Alice declared we were perfect, we went up to Emmett's room where we were meeting everyone else before heading to the Halloween party. I was curious to see if Lauren was coming with us. Edward had sat down and had a talk with her, and I guess she realized that if she continued to push him, she'd lose him, so she'd calmed down. She was still a bitch when she ran into me and I was alone, but whenever Edward was around, she played nice. I saw right through her crap, and I didn't trust her one tiny bit.

"Ow, ow, ladies!" Emmett called before letting out a wolf whistle, and I blushed bright red. Alice had dressed me as Belle from _Beauty and the Beast_, but the outfit was far sexier than what Belle ever wore, or me, for that matter. It was essentially the golden dress that Belle wore, except it was incredibly short in the front. Hell, if it got any shorter, I'd be flashing my undies to the world. I was grateful that at least it wasn't low cut. Not that I had much in the boob department, but I would have felt more uncomfortable had I been flashing bra enhanced cleavage.

Alice was dressed like a sexy _Alice in Wonderland_. I wasn't surprised at all, but I was surprised to see Jasper dressed as the Mad Hatter, and a very good looking one at that. Looking around the room, I realized that my costume was actually the most conservative of all of the women. Rose was dressed like a pirate as was Emmett, and they both looked dashing. Edward was dressed as Robin Hood, and he looked delicious. Lauren was there as well, and I wasn't sure, but I thought she was supposed to be Maid Marian from the _Robin Hood _story. However, she looked more like a slutty bar wench.

"We ready?" Jasper asked, clasping Alice's tiny hand in his. We all nodded, and we began our trek to the house where the party was. Thankfully, it was close by so no one had to drive even though I'd offered to be the designated driver. I certainly wasn't planning on drinking. I wasn't twenty-one yet, and I was a cop's daughter. Plus, I didn't much care to make an ass of myself in front of a house full of people.

I spotted the house the second we rounded the corner. You could hear the music thumping, and there were people spilling out the door and into the yard. It was crazy and jammed pack, so I made sure to stick close to Alice and Jasper as we made our way into the house.

"Bella!" I heard someone calling my name, and I turned around to scan the room. There, in the corner, was Jake, waving his hands over his head like a fool and spilling beer out of his plastic cup. I waved back and debated on whether or not to try and make my way over toward him. Deciding I would, I turned back around to let Alice know, but she was no longer there. I had no idea where they'd gone, and I didn't want to be left alone in a strange house, so I began to slowly push my way through the crowd.

It took forever, but I finally got over to Jake's corner and greeted him. He'd obviously had a bit much too drink because he had a silly grin on his face and could barely stand.

"Wow, Bella. You looksh amashing," he slurred, and I muttered a thanks. Now I was wishing I'd stuck with Alice and Jasper. Trying to converse with drunks wasn't easy, and I honestly wasn't amused by it. Jake was slurring his words so badly that I had no idea what the hell he was saying.

"Oh, hey, Bella," Sam said, coming up and putting an arm around Jake to steady him. "Sorry about him. He's had a bit too much to drink."

With those words, Sam took Jake's beer and set it aside, rolling his eyes at me. I gave him a small smile and spent the next few minutes having a real conversation with a sober person.

"Sam?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, babe?"

"I'm gonna puke."

Sam grabbed Jake and practically carried him toward where I assumed the bathrooms were. That right there was another reason not to get drunk. Realizing that I was surrounded by strangers, I pulled my phone out and sent Alice a text asking where they were. She texted me back telling me they were outside by the bonfire. With a sigh and a death grip on my phone, I started pushing my way through the throngs of people.

"Bella, right?" some guy who smelled of beer asked me. I nodded, said hello, and kept on moving. I made my way into the kitchen and spotted a door leading outside that someone had propped open. I made a beeline for it only to have my way blocked by another guy.

"Hey, sweets," he sneered, leaning down in my face.

"So not interested," I told him, trying to move around him, but no matter how I tried to slip by him, he kept getting in my way.

"Now, don't be like that. Why don't you come with me? I'll show you a real good time," he slurred.

"She said she was interested," and I sighed with relief when I heard Edward's voice behind me.

"Back off, Cullen. I wasn't talking to you," the guy said.

"No, but you were talking to my friend who's already mentioned she isn't interested in you whatsoever," Edward commented, hands crossing over his chest and looking quite lethal.

The guy must have decided I wasn't worth the trouble and muttered something about assholes as he took off. My whole body relaxed once the guy was out of my way.

"Thank you," I told Edward sincerely. "I was about ready to whip out the pepper spray on my keychain."

"It would have served him right had you done so," Edward said before frowning as he looked around. "Where are Alice and Jasper?"

I pointed outside. "By the bonfire. I was on my way to them when that guy got in my face."

Edward walked with me out to the bonfire and chastised Alice and Jasper for leaving me on my own. I shook my head and told him it wasn't their fault; I'd spotted some people I knew and had gone to talk to them. It was the truth, sort of.

"Eddie! What are you doing out here?" Lauren whined from behind us, and I didn't bother to hide my eye roll from Alice or Jasper. It was a known fact that Edward hated being called Eddie, and Lauren knew it.

"Hanging out with my sister and our friends. Is that a problem?" he snapped, and I had to admit, was a bit taken back by the bite in his voice. I wasn't the only one. Judging by the look on her face, Lauren obviously hadn't expected it either. I quickly glanced at her and was shocked to see tears welling up in her eyes.

Edward let out a huff, pinching the bridge of his nose before apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Lauren. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Whatever," she spat out, stalking off toward the house. Heaving a sigh, Edward tossed his beer into one of the garbage cans nearby and followed after her.

"Wow," Alice said softly. "She's really pushing his buttons lately."

Jasper nodded in agreement. "He's not spending nearly as much time with her as he used to. I think her welcome is finally wearing out."

I spent the rest of the evening outside by the bonfire, declining the drinks that were offered to me by both friends and by strangers. I wasn't dumb enough to accept a drink from someone I didn't know.

"Want a soda or anything?" Emmett asked after he'd come outside and offered me a beer.

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks."

"No prob, kiddo," he told me before heading over to a cooler near a grill in the yard.

By the time the party ended, I was more than ready to leave. Actually, I'd been ready to leave way before the party ended. This definitely confirmed that I wasn't a party person. I much preferred being by myself or with my small group of friends as opposed to being surrounded by tons of people.

"Okay, folks. Let's go," Emmett hollered, rounding up our little group so we could walk back to campus.

Well, most of us walked. Alice was being carried on Jasper's back, seeing as she was too drunk to walk. She was babbling away and giggling to herself which was kind of funny to see. Rose was walking slowly, singing a song quietly while Emmett kept an arm wrapped around her waist. Edward and Lauren had been with us at one point, but a quick glance over my shoulder showed they weren't there.

"Alice is going to stay with me," Jasper told me as we made our way inside the dorm. I nodded that I'd heard him, secretly glad I wouldn't have to deal with a drunken Alice all night. After being walked to my door, I told them all goodnight before heading to bed.

I had a hard time falling asleep because my brain kept recalling Edward coming to my rescue. He'd been like my own personal knight in shining armor, or in this case, a Robin Hood outfit. I knew I was reading way too much into it, but I couldn't seem to stop. He was just a good guy looking out for a friend; it didn't mean anything. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep with visions of Edward in my head.

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><p><strong>an: As always, I love to hear what you're thinking! I'll see you all next Saturday.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is the chapter that I'm sure you've all been waiting for, so I'll let you get to it. Big thanks to all of you for reading, favoring, or following. Huge thanks to Heather. She rocks.**

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><p>After waking up the next morning, I was surprised to find how late it was. I wasn't one for sleeping in so long, but I'd obviously been exhausted. After a long shower, I got dressed, threw on an old hoodie, a ripped pair of jeans, and my purple Chuck Taylor's. Grabbing my wallet and keys, I made my way to the cafeteria for brunch. By the time I finished making my waffle and grabbed a glass of orange juice, Emmett and Rose had arrived.<p>

"Morning, guys," I greeted them once they sat down at the table. They gave me smiles and asked if I'd had a good time the night before.

I shrugged before answering. "It wasn't bad. I'm not a big party person, and I'm not a drinker, but it's always fun being with you guys."

A little while later, Alice and Jasper arrived, and Alice looked like crap. Her usual perfectly-sculpted hair was sitting flat on her head, she wasn't wearing any makeup, and she was sporting a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I'd never seen her look so un-Alice like. She collapsed into the chair Jasper held out for her before asking her wanted she wanted.

"Coffee," she groaned. "Lots and lots of coffee."

With a kiss to the top of her head, Jasper went and got her coffee as well as some food from the line.

"How you feeling, sis?" Emmett boomed, grinning in delight when she groaned and flipped him off.

She muttered something I couldn't understand before sighing in relief when Jasper placed a large mug of coffee and some bacon and eggs in front of her. Jasper shot me a wink as he rubbed Alice's back while she took large gulps of coffee. She was obviously suffering from a hangover, but I couldn't find too much sympathy for her. She did bring it on herself.

"Where's Ed?" Emmett asked Jasper who shook his head.

"I'm guessing he's with Lauren. He didn't come back last night."

And just like that, my appetite was gone. Subconsciously, I knew that he and Lauren were intimate; hell I'd seen her groping him, but hearing he hadn't come back to his room and he'd been with Lauren was sort of a wakeup call. Shoving my plate of food away from me, I leaned back in my chair and stared out the window.

"What are everyone's plans today?" Emmett asked.

"To curl up and die," Alice responded, causing Jasper to chuckle. Emmett grinned and looked at me.

"I'm hitting up the public library in a bit. After that, I'll probably just stay in and read."

Emmett made a face and called me boring, but I knew it was in good fun. I loved reading, and I hadn't gotten much time to do it lately, what with school work and tests. Saying goodbye to them, I threw out my trash and made my way to the parking lot. I hopped in my car and drove the few miles it was to the library.

I lost myself for hours, browsing the shelves and curling up in a chair in front of the fireplace they had. Before I knew it, it was a quarter to four, and I'd been at the library for almost three hours. Gathering my books, I checked them out and got back in my car.

"You!" a venomous voice screamed as I was gathering my bag from the backseat of my car. I turned around and saw Lauren coming toward me, fire in her eyes. Instinctively, I started to back away, and then I stopped. I had nothing to be afraid of. She couldn't really hurt me, and if she tried, well, I'd have to kick her ass.

"Can I help you?" I asked, slinging the strap of my bag across my shoulder and attempting to play it cool.

"Oh, don't stand there and act all innocent. This is all your fucking fault!" she screamed, and I saw a few people in the parking lot stop and look our way.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lauren," I told her although I had a pretty good idea it had to do with Edward.

Not wanting to stand there and have Lauren draw any more attention our way, I began walking toward the dorm. Lauren, however, wasn't to be deterred. She stepped right in front of me and began screaming in my face. I was seconds away from punching her, and I wasn't normally prone to violence. Her screams had definitely attracted attention now, and people near us were stopping and staring.

"God, would you shut up? You're making a total ass of yourself," I told her, pushing past her so I could continue on my way.

She reached out and grabbed my arm, digging her fake nails into my arm, and it freaking hurt. Whirling around, I aimed the small can of pepper spray on my keychain at her face. I was more than willing to use it.

"Let go, now!"

Immediately, her hand let go of my arm, but I didn't lower the canister.

"I don't know what the hell your problem is, but leave me out of it," I hissed at her.

"You don't know what my problem is? Are you stupid? Edward broke up with me because of you!"

"Oh, hell no. You aren't blaming that crap on me," I told her. "He broke up with you because of you, not because of me. Deal with it."

With those final words, I whirled back around and went inside, doing my best to ignore the stares aimed at me. I walked as fast as I could without running, tripping a few times on my way up the stairs, and I noticed that my hands trembled as I attempted to unlock the door to my room. I hated confrontation of any kind, but it had gotten worse after Mike had attacked me.

I finally managed to get the door opened, and I tossed my bag on the desk chair before collapsing on my bed. My whole body was trembling by that time, and I curled myself up into a ball. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself before getting up and grabbing a book out of my bag. Reading always settled me down, so I read for a little while until my phone buzzed with a text from Alice. She wanted to know if I wanted to meet for dinner at The Ed Grill in the student center. I sent her a text back, agreeing to meet her, and got ready.

I'd calmed down considerably so by the time I got there, I was practically back to being my normal self. Getting in line, I ordered a basket of chicken strips and some fries, realizing that I was starving.

"You'll never guess what happened," Alice said once I'd taken a seat.

"Edward broke up with Lauren?" I guessed, and her mouth fell open.

"How did you know that?"

"Because that crazy bitch came at me in the parking lot earlier," I said in disgust. "She made a real ass of herself. Screaming and yelling at me about how it was my fault they broke up. I told her she couldn't lay the blame at my feet."

I took a bite of my food, watching as their jaws dropped.

"Did you smack her?" Rose wanted to know, and I shook my head.

"No, but I did pull my pepper spray on her," I said, grinning when they howled.

"No fucking way!" Rose gasped. "Oh, I wish I could've seen that. Please, please tell me you sprayed her with it."

I shook my head. "No, but it was awfully tempting."

"I don't think I could have resisted," Rose said with a shake of her head, and I let out a laugh. Knowing Rose, she would have sprayed Lauren and then beat her ass.

"I didn't want to deal with her screeching any more than I had to. She was so freaking loud, and thanks to her, a bunch of people were staring at us. I was a bit embarrassed," I admitted.

"Don't be," Alice said with a shake of her head. "If anyone should be embarrassed, it's her. She made a complete ass out of herself, and she wonders why Edward broke up with her."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure the gossip mill is running wild with the news that they broke up and that it's my fault."

Rose shook her head. "Screw them if that's what they think. Besides, anyone who knows Lauren will know she's the real reason he broke up with her."

Changing subjects, we spent the remainder of dinner talking about the upcoming holiday. Thanksgiving was coming up quick, and Alice and Rose were practically vibrating with excitement about shopping on Black Friday. I cringed at the thought. Mom and I had gone once, then never again. It wasn't worth it. Stay home and shop online. That's what I always did, assuming I managed to stay up that late. Most of the time, I was collapsed in my bed in a turkey coma before midnight.

"Hey, ladies," a southern voice interrupted as Jasper approached our table. He gave Alice a "not quite appropriate in public" kiss and asked what we were up to.

"Not much," I said right as Rose told him all about my encounter with Loony Lauren.

"Yeah, that girl sure was spittin' fire when she left our room. Almost ran me over, and if looks could've killed, I'd be a dead man," he told us.

"How's Edward holding up?" I asked.

Jasper shrugged as he stole a fry from my plate. "He'll be okay. He just needs some time to himself for a bit. They were together for a year, and breaking up with someone isn't easy."

Yeah, unless that person was trying to beat the shit out of you, I thought to myself. Then it was plenty easy.

We stayed and talked until the grill closed before leaving the student center and making our way back to the dorm. We were just walking in at the same time that Edward was walking out. He gave us a small smile before heading toward his car, and Alice shot him a worried look. Telling us she'd be right back, she ran after him, stopping him with a hand on his arm. Whatever she said to him had a genuine smile crossing his face, and he reached down to give her a hug. She hugged him back before running back to us.

"Everything okay?" Jasper asked, and Alice nodded.

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><p>A week went by, and the only time I'd seen Edward was in class. Ever since he'd broken things off with Lauren, he'd been different. Not a bad different, just a <em>different <em>different. He was more quiet than usual, and real smiles barely crossed his lips. At least he looked more rested than he had, but he didn't look peaceful. I began to wonder if it was my fault they broke up. I'd gotten some rather nasty glares and words tossed my way by Lauren's friends as well as complete strangers. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Had I wished they would break up? Yeah, of course. But, I didn't think I'd done anything to cause it to happen. I hadn't flirted with him or made advances of any kind. I'd just been his friend.

So, I was a bit surprised when there was a knock on my door at a little after six in the evening, and I opened it to find Edward standing there. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his shirt was wrinkled, and his hair was a glorious mess.

"Hey," I said, surprised to see him.

"Hey," he responded with a small smile. "Mind if I come in?"

"Not at all," I told him, holding the door open and moving out of the way. I noticed as he walked by that he was wearing mismatched socks on his feet and no shoes.

He plopped down on Alice's bed and stretched out, his shirt riding up a bit and giving me a glimpse of some nicely sculpted abs.

"I'm sorry I've been a crappy friend lately," he said, and I shook my head.

"You haven't. You've been dealing with a lot, and you needed your space. It's completely understandable."

He grabbed one of Alice's pillows and shoved it under his head as he stared at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I guess, but I still feel like I …. Ugh. I don't know," he said with a sigh, picking at the hem of his shirt with his hand.

"You're probably feeling a lot. Sad because you broke up with someone you'd been with for a long time, a bit happy because you're free and single again, possibly angry or hurt. I think, for some people, breaking up with someone can be really hard."

He rolled over on his side, tucking a hand under the pillow, and looked at me.

"Have you ever broken up with someone?"

I nodded.

"Did it upset you?"

I let out a snort. "Hardly. It was the best thing I'd done since I'd gotten myself into that relationship."

"So you didn't love him?" Edward probed.

"No, and even if I had, it wouldn't have been enough to put up with him and his shit," I scowled as I thought about Mike.

"I guess some relationships aren't meant to be. I mean, I wasn't in love with Lauren, but I thought maybe over time I would be," he said quietly. "Stupid, huh?"

I shrugged. "Not really. I think we all want love, but we can't force it. You either love someone, or you don't."

And looking at him across the room, I could easily see myself falling in love with Edward.

"Me, too," he said with a sigh, rolling onto his back once again.

A peaceful quiet fell across the room, and I picked up the book that was lying on the floor next to my bed and began to read. Edward lay where he was, and for a while, I thought he might have fallen asleep, that is, until a loud rumble erupted from his stomach. I couldn't contain the giggle that slipped out, and he rolled over and glared at me.

"What? I'm hungry. I haven't really eaten in days."

Standing up, I walked over to my desk and grabbed my phone and the pizza menu which I tossed at him. He caught it and gave me a smile.

"Pizza does sound good."

Yeah, it did. A large pepperoni pizza with jalapenos, a side of potato chips, and a Coke was right up my alley. He looked over the menu and asked what I was getting.

"Pepperoni and jalapenos," I told him, waiting for the usual reaction of disgust I got to that. However, I was more than surprised when he agreed that it sounded delicious.

"Yeah?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise.

"Yeah," he replied with a grin.

"Chips and Coke okay with it?" I asked him, and he nodded. While I placed the order, Edward went over to my bookshelf and began riffling through my DVDs. Finding a few that must have looked good to him, he sat back down on Alice's bed.

"What are we watching?" I asked after I hung up.

Edward held up three movies, and I debated as I looked at each of them. _Spaceballs_ which always got me laughing, _Misery_ because who didn't love a good Stephen King movie, or _Wall-E_ which was a great feel good movie. I looked over each one carefully then at Edward. The guy could definitely use a good laugh, so I chose _Spaceballs_.

"May the Schwartz be with you." he grinned as he put the DVD into the player.

Now, my TV setup wasn't as grand as Edward and Jasper's, but it was doable. The TV was on a stand between Alice's bed and mine. While the movie was loading, my phone rang, and I ran downstairs to greet the pizza guy. I took the pizza, chips, and soda back up to the room and ran into Emmett in the hallway. His eyes bugged out of his head as he stared at my full hands.

"Geez, Little Swan. That's a lot of food."

"Not all for me," I told him with a grin. "Edward and I are having pizza and movie night, but you can have a slice of this if you want."

Balancing the box carefully, he opened it up and snagged a piece, eyeing it wearily.

"It's not bad," he mumbled through a mouthful of awesomeness, and I grinned.

We parted ways, and I continued back to my room where the door was opened before I could knock. Edward took the pizza and the two-liter of Coke from me, and I set the bag of chips down on my desk. Having apparently rifled through Alice's things, Edward had found some paper plates, napkins, and cups.

Before long, we were laughing as we ate our pizza and chips while the movie played. I glanced over at Alice's bed where Edward was eating, and it was great to see him relaxing. Of course, that probably wouldn't last long after Alice found out that he ate in her bed.

"Thanks for this, Bella," Edward said, catching me looking at him. "I appreciate it."

I shrugged off his thanks. "It's no biggie. Besides, I was in the mood for pizza and didn't want to feel like a pig eating alone, so this works out well for me."

By the time midnight rolled around, we'd watched all three movies, eaten an entire pizza, and were wired from all the soda we'd had. We were loud and hyper as we discussed which of Mel Brooks' movies were the best. I was partial to _Young Frankenstein_ while Edward loved _Men in Tights_. It was a good one, but not the best as far as I was concerned.

"Have the two of you been drinking?" Alice asked from the doorway, scaring the crap out of us. We both jumped at her voice and then cracked up when we looked at each other.

"Just Coke," I told her, and she looked as if she didn't believe me. "I swear."

She nodded and scanned the room as she closed the door behind her. I knew the minute she spotted the plate and napkins on her bed because her face turned red, and her fists went on her tiny waist.

"Edward Anthony Cullen!" she yelled, and I giggled as she middle-named him. "Did you—you did! You ate pizza in my bed! And chips! Oh my God, Edward! I swear if I find one crumb in my bed, you're going to be doing my laundry for a week."

I was cracking up as she yelled at him, and then she turned her gaze on me. Immediately, I shut up and gave her my most innocent smile. She wasn't fooled.

"And you," she began. "I know this was probably all your idea, so you'll be helping him if I find any crumbs anywhere in here."

I rolled my eyes at her as I swore I'd clean the place up spick and span. Then it was her turn for the eye roll.

"Hmph. Well, I'll be back in a bit, and I'd better not find any crumbs!" she hollered as Jasper pulled her out the door and shut it.

Edward and I looked at each other grinning. Grabbing the trash can, I began to throw away our dirty plates and napkins as Edward began to sweep off Alice's bed with his hands.

"Here," I said, handing him a lint roller. "This'll work better."

He grinned as he took it. "Thanks, Bella. Not just for this," he said, holding up the lint roller, "but for the whole evening. It was needed."

"No problem. That's what friends are for," I told him, and then I was thrown off guard when he dropped the lint roller on Alice's bed and pulled me into a hug.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relish in it for a few minutes before we both pulled away. I knew for a fact I was blushing, so I kept my gaze adverted from his and began to gather up what was left of the trash. We cleaned up in silence for a few minutes before Edward offered to empty the trash can. I handed it to him and told him thanks. The second he was out the door, I collapsed on my bed and took a deep breath. It had just been a friendly hug that didn't mean anything.

I heard his footsteps coming back down the hall, so I quickly stood up and smoothed my hair back in place. I needed to act cool, like his hug hadn't just made my insides quiver.

"Thank you again," he said as he came in the door. "I really needed a good laugh after the week I've had."

"I figured you might," I said with a smile, sitting back down on my bed.

"Oh, yeah. It really sucks because I have two classes with Lauren, and I'm fairly certain every single person in each one of them are aware we broke up. How could they not be, what, with the dirty looks she keeps throwing my way? It doesn't help that she and Bree keep talking about me just loud enough for me to catch my name but not what they're saying."

I scowled at his words. "She's so freaking immature. I get that she's upset and everything, but grow up. She doesn't need to be talking crap about you or getting in my face in the parking lot."

"What?" he asked, looking at me with confusion on his face.

_Oh, shit._ He didn't know.

"Oh, um … last week after I got back from the library, she started yelling at me in the parking lot. It must have been right after you broke up because she was wild-eyed and crazy. She made a real scene and basically accused me of breaking the two of you up."

He sat down hard on Alice's bed and ran a hand through his hair. "That's such bullshit. You didn't break us up. I broke up with her because she'd changed and become this incredibly difficult and jealous person. She'd become someone I didn't want to be around anymore. I explained all of that to her, not that it went over well. Did she accuse me of cheating on her with you? She probably did, didn't she?"

"I'd never allow myself to become the other woman," I said with a scoff. "Besides, I'm not the kind of girl who poaches."

"However, she was right about one thing," he said quietly, piquing my interest.

"What's that?"

"She accused me of liking you more than I should," he said so quietly I almost didn't hear him. As a matter of fact, I was sure I hadn't heard him right because if I had, then he'd just admitted that he liked me … and for more than a friend.

"Oh."

I really didn't know what to say to him. I was totally falling for him, but he needed time to just be himself and be single. I definitely didn't want to be a rebound, and after my relationship with Mike, the idea of being in another relationship was a little scary.

Edward fidgeted on Alice's bed, and his hands went to his hair again. "Uh … well …" he trailed off, and I saw that his ears had turned a bit red.

"That wasn't a bad _oh_," I explained, my face bright red. "It was more of a surprised, I had no idea kind of _oh_."

"So, not a bad _oh_?" he asked, and I shook my head. He sighed with relief before letting out a huge yawn.

"Okay, then," he said, standing up. "I'm going to crash, but let's meet for breakfast?"

I nodded and gave him a smile as he walked out. Once he was gone, I tossed myself on my bed, buried my face in my pillow, and let loose with a very girly squee. While he hadn't admitted outright that he was crushing on me the way I was on him, he'd still admitted he liked me more than he should have. I guess that could have been taken as a bad thing, but I was going to think of it as something good.

Twenty minutes after Edward left, I was under the covers in my pjs and reading a book. Alice hadn't come back yet, but I knew I'd most likely be grilled by her when she arrived. I was right. A few minutes after she got back to the room and inspected her bed, she flopped down on it and demanded to know what was going on between Edward and me.

"Nothing," I told her honestly. "He came around earlier to apologize for being a crappy friend which I told him that he wasn't. He looked so sad, Alice. I thought some pizza and movies would help cheer him up, and I was right. There's nothing going on."

"Well there should be. The two of you would be so perfect together. I've known that since the day I met you."

"He needs time, Alice. Besides, I'm not sure he thinks of me as girlfriend material," I told her although I was beginning to think he might.

"Pssh. Of course, he does. I can tell these things, and he's crazy about you."

"Well, he did say that Lauren accused him of liking me more than he should, and he told me she was right."

Alice let out a squeal and jumped up from her bed and twirled around in a circle like a mad woman. I stared at her as if she'd lost her freaking mind, and I was pretty certain she had when she reached down and grabbed me in a tight hug.

"I knew it! I just knew it!" she shouted with a grin after she let me go.

"You knew what?"

"I knew he liked you. I've never seen him take to another girl so quickly or get so defensive when Lauren started bad mouthing someone. This is gonna be great! We can go on double or triple dates, and we can—"

"Whoa," I interrupted. "Let's not get ahead of things, Alice. We don't even know for sure that Edward would want to date me. Besides, he just got out of a yearlong relationship. He's probably going to want to be single for a while."

"Fine, but I'm telling you right now, the two of you will be dating by Christmas. I know it."

I rolled my eyes at her predictions. Sure, I hoped it would come true, but I wasn't holding my breath.

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><p><strong>an: Let me hear it, folks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. I know you were all eagerly awaiting Lauren's departure. She'll make an appearance here and there of course, but now we can mainly focus on B & E. Huge thanks to Heather for dealing with me and my comma hatred.**

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><p>By eight the following morning, I was awake and ready to meet Edward for breakfast. We hadn't specified a time, so I wasn't sure when he was going to show up. At a quarter after, my phone buzzed, and I was surprised to see a text from Edward asking if I was up and wanting to go eat. I replied and then saved his information in my phone. I wasn't even aware he had my number.<p>

We met downstairs in the common area, and he was a beautiful sight to see first thing in the morning. He looked much more rested than he had in weeks, and I was greeted by his beautiful smile.

"Hope you don't mind that I got your number from Alice."

I shook my head. "Not at all. Although, I was a bit surprised to see a text from you."

We began to make our way toward the cafeteria when Edward stopped suddenly.

"Want to go out for breakfast?" he asked, and I couldn't have said no if I had wanted to.

"Sure. Where to?"

"Come with me," he said with a sexy smile, and I had a feeling I'd follow him to the end of the earth if he asked me.

We got into his Volvo and pulled out of the parking lot, arriving at our destination less than ten minutes later. Edward pulled the Volvo into a parking spot, and I grinned when I saw where we were. IHOP. I freaking loved IHOP. I practically skipped my way to the door, thanking Edward when he held it open.

Twenty some minutes later, I was shoveling waffles with syrup, peanut butter, and powdered sugar into my face.

"That looks so gross," Edward said before taking a bite of his French toast.

"It's not," I mumbled through a mouthful. "It's amazing. Try some."

I held out my fork and almost moaned in delight when his lips wrapped around it. He chewed for a moment, and I watched his face.

"Not bad," he said after he'd swallowed.

"Not bad? Please, these are freaking awesome."

We were talking and laughing over our meal when I saw Lauren and Bree walk in. I didn't bother to hide my sigh before I informed Edward. He let out a groan, warning me to brace myself. I really didn't want to deal with Lauren first thing in the morning, and I was afraid things were going to get ugly.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" she asked in a snide voice as she stopped in front of our table. Her eyes were shooting daggers at me as were her friend's, but I did my best not to react to her.

"A couple of friends eating breakfast. Is that a problem?" Edward asked, arching a brow in her direction.

Lauren scowled as she put her hands on her hips. "Friends. Right," she scoffed.

I let out a sigh. "Yes, friends. Believe it or not, friends eat food together all the time," I told her. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'd like to finish our meal in peace."

I could tell she wanted to say more, but thankfully, our waitress stopped by to see how we were doing. I asked for more orange juice while Edward said he was fine, and then our waitress turned to Lauren and Bree.

"Are you joining them?"

They both shook their heads and stalked off toward their own table, shooting us dirty looks over their shoulders.

"For a second there, I thought we were going to have a problem," our waitress, an older woman with shocking red hair, said.

"Me, too," I agreed.

Needless to say, Edward left her a very large tip once breakfast was over. I'd tried to pay for my own meal, but he'd told me no.

"You got the pizza last night, so please let me get this."

So, I'd relented. It almost felt like we'd been on a date, but I knew better than that. It was like we'd told Lauren. We were just friends having breakfast together.

After breakfast, Edward decided to show me around Seattle. It wasn't like I'd never been to Seattle prior to attending school there, but my parents and I hadn't spent a lot of time in the city. Edward took me to a couple of museums and a park with a carousel. I hadn't been on one of those since I was three or four, and Edward encouraged me to take a ride.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I'd feel stupid."

He rolled his eyes at me as he paid the man for a ticket, and then he gently shoved me forward.

"Go!" he urged, and I gave in.

I found a beautiful white unicorn and hopped on its back. I felt a bit foolish, but when the carousel began, I forgot all about my embarrassment. It was wonderful and made me feel so carefree and young. It was fantastic. I was almost sad when the ride was over.

"Have fun?" Edward asked as I made my way over to him.

"I totally did. Thanks," I told him, reaching out and giving his arm a squeeze. He flashed me a grin, and once again, my insides turned to mush.

Later in the afternoon after a lunch from a food truck, I got a text from Alice asking where I was. I told her I was out with Edward, and that we'd be back soon. She told me to stay and enjoy myself and to tell Edward she said hello.

"That was Alice," I told him. "She says hello."

He rolled his eyes. "She couldn't have told me that herself?"

I shrugged. "You know her better than I do."

By six, it began to rain, so we agreed to call it a day, and it had been a wonderful one. I couldn't remember having a better time with anyone. I'd certainly never had that good of a time with Mike; that was for damn sure.

"Thanks for today," I told him as we pulled into the dorm parking lot.

"No problem. It was fun, wasn't it?"

"Definitely," I agreed, and we gave each other smiles.

We walked into the dorm together, and I noticed a few people looking at us and whispering. Edward shot them dirty looks and shook his head in disgust.

"They hang around in the same circle as Lauren," he muttered which certainly explained a lot. I had a bad feeling that some rather interesting rumors would be circulating come tomorrow, assuming, of course, that they already weren't. It was pretty obvious that Lauren and Bree had come back to campus and told a few people they'd seen Edward and I together. I almost felt guilty about hanging out with him, but I quickly shoved those feelings down. We'd done nothing wrong, and even if we had been on a date, it wouldn't have mattered. Edward was single and so was I.

Ignoring them, I followed Edward up the stairs, and we made our way toward my room. It was still early, and I wasn't ready for the night to end, so I decided to invite him in. I unlocked my door and found Alice and Jasper tangled up in her bed. Immediately, I closed my eyes and shut the door. I loved them both, but there were some things you just weren't meant to see.

"I think I've been blinded," Edward said quietly, and I opened my eyes to look at him. There was a look of horror on his face, and I found myself giggling especially when I heard Alice tell me to go away and come back later.

"You and me both," I told him. "Well, I … uh … well, I don't know what I'm going to do now."

"You can always hang out in my room. We can watch a movie or something," he suggested, and I eagerly agreed.

Once in his room, I took a seat on his bed as he dug through the movies in the entertainment center he and Jasper had. He pulled out a horror movie I'd seen before, and I readily agreed. We sat in silence for a few minutes as the movie began, and I was hyper aware of him being a few feet from me on the same bed. I had to admit, it made me slightly nervous, and I had butterflies in my stomach.

Halfway through the movie, my phone rang, causing me to jump, and I answered when I saw it was my mom. I mouthed to Edward that I was going to take the call and stepped outside his room.

"Hey, Mom!" I said, glad to hear from her.

"Hey, baby. I'm sorry to call you so late," she said, and there was a tremble in her voice. Something had happened. I just knew it. "There's been an accident."

My stomach clenched at words. "What happened?" I asked. My first thought being that Dad had been shot.

"Let me just say that your dad's going to be fine, but he was hit by a car while doing a routine traffic stop."

"Oh, Jesus! Are you sure he's okay?"

"I'm sure," she swore. "He has got a broken leg and has a few scrapes and bruises."

"Did they catch the person who hit him?'

"They did."

"I'm coming home," I told her. I had to see for myself that he was okay.

"Bella—"

"No, Mom," I interrupted. "I need to see him."

"Fine, but you're not driving tonight. It's late, and it's a long trip. You can leave in the morning."

I agreed, and after telling her I loved her, I hung up. I sat on the floor outside Edward's door and did my best to hold back my tears, but it was impossible. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and buried my face. I never even heard the door open, so I was startled when a strong arm settled upon my shoulders. Seconds later, I was being held against his warm chest.

"What happened?" Edward asked in a soft, soothing voice.

"My dad was—" I took a deep breath to compose myself before continuing. "My dad was hit by a car."

Edward swore under his breath, and his arm tightened around me. "Is he going to be okay?"

I nodded against his chest. "Mom said that his leg is broken, and he has some scrapes and bruises, but he's fine. At first, I thought she was calling to tell me he'd been shot or something. Instead, he was hit by a car while he was writing a driver a speeding ticket."

"I'm sorry," he said, placing a kiss to the top of my head.

"I'm going home in the morning to see him. I probably won't be back until Monday afternoon or possibly Tuesday," I told him.

We stayed like that for a while until we heard footsteps coming down the hall. I pulled away from him, wiping my eyes, and stood up with Edward's help.

"Sorry about earli—" Alice began to say, but stopped when she saw my face. "What's wrong?"

I told her that my dad had been in an accident, and I'd be heading home the next day. She gave me a huge hug, and it took everything in me not to start crying again. Deciding that I needed a cup of hot chocolate and some quiet, Alice gently began to maneuver me toward the stairwell. I thanked Edward before saying goodbye to him as well as Jasper.

Back in my room, I changed into my flannel pants and thermal shirt before crawling under the covers. After drinking some hot chocolate, provided by Alice, I burrowed in and tried to fall asleep. Unfortunately, sleep didn't come easily. I spent most of the night tossing and turning before finally getting up at around five. I quietly got dressed, packed a bag, left Alice a note, and sent a quick text to Edward before making my way out to the parking lot. I'd only been in the car for a few minutes and was still in the parking lot when my phone buzzed.

_Be safe, _the text read, and I smiled as I read it.

_Thanks. I will, _I replied back to Edward before setting my phone aside and putting the car into reverse.

The three hour drive home seemed to take forever and not even listening to my favorite band, Stereophonics, helped. Eventually, I passed the Welcome to Forks sign, and my body sagged with relief. I was home, and I'd be seeing Dad in a matter of minutes.

Turned out, it was more like twenty minutes by the time I pulled into the hospital, found a parking spot, and got through reception. I practically ran down the corridor that led to Dad's room and heaved a sigh of relief when I pushed the door open.

"Dad!" I cried out when I saw him in the hospital bed. I rushed over to him and did my best not to fling myself at him.

"Bells! What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly, but not unkindly.

"Seeing you, of course."

He sighed before holding out his arms, and I flung myself into them. The tears flowed freely as I was wrapped up in my dad's embrace, and I swore I heard him sniffle a bit as well. Pulling away, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand before taking a good look at him.

He looked tired, his left arm was bruised, and his left leg was sporting a green cast. God, it could have been so much worse. He could have been killed, and that thought terrified me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Sore, but the doc is going to let me out in an hour or two," he told me. "Now, I've got to learn how to walk on those damn crutches."

Mom let out a snort as she came into the room and hugged me. "And what fun that'll be. Good thing our bedroom is downstairs; otherwise, you'd be sleeping on the couch for the next six to eight weeks."

"The hell I would," Dad growled, and I giggled at them. Sometimes my parents were so weird.

* * *

><p>"I don't like the thought of you missing classes," Dad said with a frown over dinner later that night.<p>

"It's one day, and I haven't missed any classes yet. It'll be fine, and I can get notes from someone," I told him.

He continued to frown, but he nodded in agreement.

After dinner, the three of us watched a movie together, and it was great to spend time with my parents. Sure, I'd seen them not too long ago, and I'd be back in two weeks for Thanksgiving, but it was still nice seeing them. More than anything though, I was relieved that Dad was going to be okay.

Two days later, I was traveling back to school with a Tupperware container full of some weird cookies my mom had made. Mom wasn't known for her cooking or baking skills, and she was constantly experimenting, much to our disgust, but we loved her for trying. I, however, wasn't about to eat the cookies that were in the seat beside me. She'd said something about seaweed and pumpkin before shoving the container at me, kissing me, and telling me to drive safe.

I arrived back at the dorm a little after five in the evening, and I grabbed my bag and the cookies before heading inside.

"Hey, Bella!" Emmett hollered as soon as I'd entered the dorm, and I waved as I made my way over to him. He and some guy were playing a game of ping pong, and it looked pretty intense.

"How's your dad?" he asked, swinging the paddle wildly and almost hitting me.

"He's doing well. A bit cranky, but he's fine," I told him, ducking when the little plastic ball came flying my way. The game was beginning to get dangerous, and I feared I'd get hit if I stuck around. I said goodbye to Emmett and headed upstairs to my room, knocking softly in case Alice and Jasper were in there together.

Alice flung the door open and pulled me into a tight hug before passing me along to Jasper. I had been right about them being in the room together, but at least this time, they were clothed. Jasper gave me a gentle hug and a brotherly kiss to the top of my head before asking how I was.

"I'm good. Much better now that I've seen my dad."

"How is he?" Alice asked.

"Cranky," I said with a snort. "He's complaining because he has to use crutches, because he has to be on desk duty, because, because, because."

I loved my dad, but he was the world's biggest baby. He was a horrible patient, and I had a feeling Mom would end up beating him senseless at some point because of all his whining.

"What's that?" Jasper asked, spying the container of cookies that I'd sent on my desk.

"Incredibly disgusting cookies my mom baked. Help yourself at your own risk," I told him as I began to unpack my bag and put stuff away.

From the corner of my eye, I watched as he opened the container and sniffed the cookie that he'd taken out. He must have decided it smelled okay because he took a huge bite, and then his eyes bugged out of his head. I was freaking dying. I started laughing so hard at the look on his face that I could barely stand up. Alice was right there with me, giggling like mad as Jasper grabbed the trashcan and spit the remainder of the cookie out. He dashed out the door and into our bathroom and immediately began rinsing his mouth out with Alice's mouthwash. Tears were streaming down our faces by the time he came back into the room.

"God, Bella! Those were just nasty! Why didn't you warn me?"

"I did," I said, wiping my cheeks dry with my hands. "I warned you they were gross."

"No, they're beyond gross. I'm sorry, but your mom shouldn't be allowed to bake."

I let out a laugh as I agreed. I informed them that my mom was an experimental cook who made up her own recipes on a whim. He shot me a look of horror and asked how my dad and I had survived.

"Take out, plus I'm a pretty decent cook. Like always, I'll be cooking Thanksgiving. If we left it up to my mom, we'd probably all die of food poisoning."

"I've gotta go brush my teeth, but I'll meet you ladies for dinner in a bit?" Jasper asked, and we both nodded.

Once Jasper was gone, Alice shut the door and turned to face me with a serious look. Something was definitely up.

"Last night Lauren showed up drunk at Edward and Jasper's room. She began to scream and holler at him, calling him all kinds of names and even accused him of cheating, and then she accused you of being a whore. Edward ended up having to call campus security to come take her away."

My mouth dropped open in shock, but I really shouldn't have been that surprised. Lauren seemed a bit unstable to begin with, but add in alcohol, and you've got a mess on your hands.

"She kept yelling that she loved him as they dragged her away. It was horribly embarrassing," she continued.

"Do you think she really loves Edward?" I asked.

"No. I think she loves the idea of loving Edward, and she loved the money that he spent on her, but I don't believe she truly loves him. I know he didn't love her, and he's better off without her. Besides, he has you now."

"We're just friends," I told her for what felt like the millionth time.

"We'll see," she said before prancing over to the mirror to fix her hair before we headed to dinner.

We met Jasper and Edward in the hallway ten minutes later, and Edward gave me a quick hug and asked how my dad was doing. I told him Dad was doing fine and driving Mom insane.

"Whatever you do, Ed, don't eat any cookies Bella's mom makes," Jasper warned him, shuddering at the thought.

I let out a laugh as I explained to Edward about my mom's horrible cooking and baking skills.

"They were horrible," Jasper told him.

"What did you expect? They were seaweed and pumpkin flavored," I told him, and I swore Jasper turned a bit green.

"So I hear you had an interesting night," I commented to Edward as we followed behind Alice and Jasper.

Edward looked a bit pained, and I was instantly sorry I'd brought it up.

"Yeah, it was a bit embarrassing for everyone involved. At least, I hope she was embarrassed by her behavior. I haven't seen her since because she wasn't in class today. I'm just hoping that campus security taking her away was a wakeup call, and she'll realize she needs to let go."

"Mike wasn't very good at letting go either."

"Your ex?"

I nodded. I hadn't told any of them about Mike except that he was my ex. I think part of me was afraid they'd think I was weak for staying with him when he belittled me.

"Yeah, he was pretty controlling."

Edward put a hand on my arm and pulled me to a stop. I looked up at him, and he had a very serious look on his face.

"Did he hurt you?"

I took a deep breath before responding. This wasn't exactly how or where I'd planned on telling him about Mike. Granted, I hadn't even been sure I was going to tell him or the others.

"Eventually," I told him, moving toward the bench that was near the sidewalk. If I was going to tell him the story, I at least wanted to be semi-comfortable. I saw Alice and Jasper stop and look back, but I waved them on.

"He was the popular guy at our high school who never paid any attention to me until I started working at his parents' store. It took some time, but he finally wore me down, and I let him take me out. Before I even realized it, we were a serious couple with some serious issues. He began to try and control every aspect of my life. He had to know where I was at all times, who I was with, and what I was doing. He criticized everything about me from my clothes to my hair to my breast size," I told him, pausing to take a deep breath.

"I know it was stupid to stay with him, but I did. At first, I didn't even realize he was doing it, and then I'd find myself thinking maybe he was right. It was demoralizing, and I'm ashamed that I let him control me like that. Then one night about six months after we'd been dating, he asked me to marry him. I told him no."

"I guess he didn't like that," Edward said quietly, reaching out to clasp my hand in his. I clung to his hand tightly, hating that talking about Mike still got me worked up.

"Yeah, you could say that. I never thought in a million years he'd hit me, but he did. He slapped me hard, and when I started fighting back, it just got worse. By the time I managed to get away, I had a broken nose, a busted lip that required stitches, and more bruises than I could count."

"Jesus," Edward whispered, running his free hand through his hair. "Please tell me he's locked up."

"He was, but he got off light. His father is politically connected, and Mike only had to serve one hundred and eighty days, and he got probation for two years."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Edward gaped, and I shook my head no.

"He was released this past September, but I haven't heard from him or seen him. There's a restraining order in place, but Dad is always keeping an eye out. We were told that Mike was sent to live with family in California when he got out."

"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked me with a hurt look.

"I was afraid you all would think I was weak or pathetic for staying with him for as long as I did. Plus, it's not something you just blurt out, and the timing never seemed right."

"You're not weak," he told me, pulling me in for a hug. I held onto him, and it took a lot for me not to cry. He was so sweet and wonderful.

"Thanks," I said, pulling away and sniffing a bit. Looked like those pesky tears were going to show up after all. I blinked a few times until I felt like I could look at him and not burst into tears.

"I won't say anything to the others. You can tell them when it feels right, okay?"

I nodded, and then my stomach let out a loud rumble. I turned ten shades of red as Edward let out a laugh.

"Let's go feed the beast in your belly," he said, standing up and tugging me with him. We made our way toward the student center, and I was hyper aware that my hand was still in his. He let go of me to open the door, and I felt a sense of loss and disappointment.

"Everything okay?" Alice asked once we'd gone through the line, gotten our food, and sat down at the table.

"Yeah," we replied, and I could see she was dying to ask questions, but Edward shook his head at her.

Later that night as we lie in our beds, Alice finally asked what Edward and I had been talking about.

"I know it's none of my business, but you both looked so serious. You promise everything is okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I promise I'll tell you what we talked about, but not right now. Talking about it with Edward has really worn me out."

"Well, tell me when you're ready. I'm here for you. We all are," she told me before saying goodnight.

* * *

><p><strong>an: So now Edward knows about Mike, and things are slowly moving along.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! They warm my little heart. I'm down with a freaking cold, yet again, and I gotta say I'm sick of this winter. Just when things were looking like spring, it snowed again. Huge thanks to Heather for her amazing beta skills. **

**Just a reminder... slow burn. Bear with me. **

* * *

><p>Sleep didn't come easily for me that night, and when it did, my dreams were rough. In them, Mike was coming after me again, but this time, there was no stopping him. Alice shook me awake after my whimpers had woken her.<p>

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, rubbing a hand over my shoulder as I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

"I think so. It was just a really bad dream," I told her, rolling over on my back and staring at the ceiling. "It was about my ex, Mike."

And so, I began to tell her about him and everything that had happened with him. By the time I was done, I was so mentally exhausted that I let the tears fall. Alice leaned over and gathered me to her, giving me a hug. She was quiet as she held me and eventually she pulled away.

"I know just what we need to cheer you up. Will you be okay if I step out for a second?" she asked, getting up from my bed. I nodded as I told her I was going to take a shower to help me relax.

"Okay. I'll be back in a few," she said, dropping a kiss to the top of my head.

After Alice left the room, I got up and headed to the bathroom to start the shower. Within minutes, I was soaking under the hot spray, and I could feel the tension leaving my body. Twenty minutes later, I was back in my pjs, and I had climbed into bed. Not long after that, Alice opened the door and came in carrying a plastic grocery bag.

"Here," she said, pulling out a tub of cookie dough ice cream and a spoon.

"Thanks," I said, taking both of them from her and prying the lid off the carton. Ice cream always made me feel better, and Alice knew it. We ended up staying up until three, eating our ice cream and talking.

My alarm went off at seven-fifteen, and I scowled as I slammed my hand down on the offensive thing. I didn't want to get up. I wanted to stay in bed all day, but I couldn't afford to miss any more classes this late in the semester. I groggily got up, took a quick shower, and threw on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I threw my hair into a messy ponytail and grabbed my bag. I knew I looked like shit, but I couldn't find it in myself to honestly care. At least I wasn't showing up to class in my pajamas.

My first class of the day seemed to drag on and on. It was already a long class, being ninety minutes, but today, it seemed twice as long. It didn't help that I couldn't concentrate, and I was fairly certain I missed half of what the professor talked about. I sighed with relief when the clock on the wall hit nine-thirty. One class down, one to go. I went to my next class which lasted until eleven-thirty. I was so ready for the day to be over, and I'd never been so glad for my classes to end.

I made my way over to the cafeteria and smiled when I saw the gang seated around our table. I wasn't really hungry, so I grabbed a bowl of soup and a Coke and made my way over to them.

"How you feeling?" Alice asked me quietly as I took a seat.

"Meh," I told her. "I think I'm gonna spend the rest of the afternoon reading and just relaxing."

"Okay. Rose and I are hitting up the mall. Is there anything you need?"

I thought about it for a moment, but I couldn't think of anything that I really needed, so I told her no, but thanks.

I spent the rest of the afternoon lying on my bed reading while listening to music. It was just what the doctor ordered. A soft knock on the door interrupted me, and when I opened the door, I found Edward, standing on the other side holding a couple Styrofoam containers.

"Hungry?" he asked, holding out the container.

"Yeah, I am," I said as I opened the door wider so he could enter the room. I'd lost track of time, like I usual did when I was reading, and my stomach let out a rumble at the smell of the food.

"You were quiet today," he commented as he took a seat at my desk. "Is it because of yesterday?"

"A little bit," I said as I took the container he handed me. "I had a rough night."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, but I shook my head.

"There's no need to apologize," I told him, smiling when I opened the container and spotted the chicken strips and fries.

"Well, I feel like I kind of forced you in to telling me, and as a result, you had a bad night," he said sadly as he munched on a fry.

"You didn't force me to tell you; I chose to, and the bad dream was just that, a dream. I used to have them all the time after Mike assaulted me, but they've gotten better, and I rarely have them anymore. Although sometimes, they just pop up out of nowhere. Again, Edward, it's not your fault."

"By the way, thanks for this," I said, indicating the food in my lap. "It was just what I wanted."

"I've heard you rave about those chicken strips, and I figured I couldn't go wrong getting you that. Although, I wasn't sure if you were a barbeque, sweet and sour, or ranch kind of girl."

"I'm a barbeque mixed with sweet and sour sauce kind of girl," I told him, grinning at the disgusted look on his face. "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it."

"That just sounds so wrong," he said through a bite of his burger.

"Try it," I said, offering him a chicken strip with the mixed sauce. Tentatively, he leaned down and took a bite, and I almost swooned when his lips brushed my fingertips.

"Hey, that's not bad," he said, sounding surprised.

"Told ya!" I sang as I ate the rest of the chicken strip I'd offered him.

"Shit! I forgot drinks. I'll run down to the commons and grab some sodas from the vending machine," he said, getting up.

"Sit. I'll get them since you bought dinner," I told him, grabbing a couple of dollar bills out of my wallet. "Dr. Pepper, right?"

He nodded, and I headed out the door and down the stairs. I went toward the pop machines once I was in the commons, and as I was debating what I wanted, a girl came up to me.

"You're Bella, right?"

"Yeah," I responded, not really paying attention to her.

"Is it true you were sleeping with Edward while he was with Lauren?"

I turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, do I know you? Because I can't even begin to imagine how anything having to do with Edward or Lauren is your business."

"So, it's true?" she asked, tossing her hair behind a shoulder.

"Did I say that?" I asked her before turning around and putting my money in the machine. I pushed the button for the Dr. Pepper and then took it when it came out. Grabbing my change, I walked over to a different pop machine, the girl following behind me.

Heaving a sigh, I turned to face her once again. My palms were sweaty, and my heart was racing, but I was trying to stay calm.

"I hope you aren't expecting me to buy you a soda," I commented dryly.

"What? Of course not. I just want an answer."

"Since I don't owe you an answer, I guess you'll just have to keep wondering," I said, sticking my money in the machine and randomly pushing a button just so I could get my pop and leave as quickly as possible.

I grabbed the can the second it clunked into the tray, and I made a beeline for the stairs. Halfway up, I checked behind me to see if she was following, and thankfully, she wasn't. I practically flew to my room and hip checked the door open.

"Sorry it took so long. I got accosted by some chick wanting to know if I'd been screwing you while you were with Lauren," I blurted out as I handed him his soda.

He almost toppled his drink as he stared at me. "Are you fucking kidding me? It's been almost two weeks. Don't these people have better things to do?"

"Apparently not." I shrugged.

"So what did you tell her?" he asked as I pulled the tab on the soda I'd grabbed.

"That we'd been having wild, kinky animal sex."

He choked on his drink, sputtering as he stared at me. I flashed him a grin as I took a swig of the drink in my hand and almost choked myself. I hadn't paid attention to what I'd gotten, and it was some nasty orange soda.

"Serves you right," he said, motioning at the can. "That's what you get for trying to kill me."

"Oh, but the look on your face was priceless. But seriously, I didn't tell her anything. It's none of her business."

"Now if only they'd listen, huh? I'm sorry this shit is happening to you. You certainly don't need to be dealing with it."

"It is what it is," I said with a shrug. "In the end, it doesn't matter what any of them think anyways. We know nothing happened between us, and our friends know that, too. That's all that's important."

"Too right you are," he said, taking one last bite of his burger. He had ketchup smeared on his face, and I grinned as I handed him a napkin.

"Thanks," he said in a muffled voice as he wiped his face. He completely missed the mark, and the ketchup was still there.

"Here," I said, pointing to the same spot on my face.

"I'm a messy eater, but I'm not as bad as Emmett. Mom makes him wear a bib on Thanksgiving."

I stared at him and then roared with laughter. I could just picture it.

"Promise me you'll send me a picture of that."

"I will," he said with a grin as I took another sip of the nasty soda.

Edward reached over and removed the can from my hand and handed me his drink.

"I'll drink this so you don't have to," he said with a sweet smile, and I thanked him. I took a sip of Dr. Pepper and tried not to think about the fact that I was drinking after him.

A little after eight, he stood up and threw away his trash, telling me that he was sorry he had to go, but he had a test to study for. I thanked him, once again, for bringing me dinner, and then I did something completely out of character for me. I leaned in and gave him a hug.

Immediately, his arms wrapped around me, and I found myself snuggled against his firm chest. I could feel the heat from my blush, and I was fairly certain he could as well. The hug didn't last long, mainly, because I was embarrassed. I pulled away and gave him a shy smile as I bid him goodnight.

"Sweet dreams tonight, okay?" he told me, tapping a finger on my nose.

I nodded as I began to close the door behind him. The second the door was closed, I leaned back against it and let out a dreamy sigh. A key turning in the lock had me quickly moving away from the door, and I smiled as Alice and Jasper came in.

"What's this?" Alice asked, looking at the container on my bed that still held a few fries and the Dr. Pepper can on my desk.

"Oh, Edward brought me dinner," I told them, and Alice's eyes shined. I knew she was going to make a bigger deal out of it than it really was.

"Did he now?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yes. He was just being friendly," I said in a stern voice.

"Well now," Jasper drawled. "I certainly can't remember Edward ever bringing dinner to any of his other female friends. I'm fairly certain he never even took dinner from Ed's Grill to Lauren."

"Most likely, that's because she would have bitched a fit," I retorted, but secretly, I was pleased to hear he hadn't been delivering dinners to different girls.

"He really does like you," Jasper told me, sitting down on Alice's bed and pulling her onto his lap. "I think he just wants some time before getting into another relationship, so just be patient. I have no doubt the two of you will be together."

I peered at him. "You sound just like Alice."

"Well, you know what they say. Great minds think alike," he said with a smug smile, and I rolled my eyes at him.

I killed the next few hours doing homework and studying until I was fighting to keep my eyes open. Alice and Jasper both had a test they were studying for, and I told them they could stay and study. I went to the bathroom, changed into my pajamas, and then climbed into bed with my earbuds tucked in my ears with some soothing music playing. I was out like a light and didn't have any bad dreams.

* * *

><p>"Happy Thanksgiving!" I shouted to the gang as I climbed into Iona. The five of them were all going to the Cullen's house since it was too far of a trip for Jasper and Rose to head home. They would, however, be heading home for Christmas for at least three of the five weeks of break we got.<p>

"Have a safe trip. Call or text one of us when you arrive," Edward told me, and I nodded.

The drive home took longer than normal do to the amount of traffic because of the upcoming holiday. Almost four hours later, I pulled into the driveway and was greeted at the door by my dad on his crutches.

"Hey, Dad!" I cried out, giving him a hug.

"Thank God, you're here! I get to eat real food," Dad said, shooting a teasing grin over his shoulder at Mom.

"Oh, yeah. You're just withering away to nothing, Charlie," Mom said sarcastically before turning to me and welcoming me home.

The next day was busy as we prepped for our dinner. Dad had invited his deputy, Harry Clearwater, his wife, Sue, and their two kids, Leah and Seth. We usually ended up alternating who was doing Thanksgiving, and it was our turn this year. I didn't mind at all. I enjoyed cooking, and I loved baking pies.

"Need any help?" Mom asked, popping into the kitchen, and I shook my head. As much as Mom tried to help, she was more of a hindrance than anything. Even following the directions, she still managed to mess things up. It was one of the world's unsolved mysteries. I mean, I've stood guard and supervised her actions, and the food still ended up horrible. I guess being a good cook was a natural gift; one I was glad I had.

"I'm good. Thanks though," I told her, and she nodded before heading into the living room.

I took a peak around the corner an hour and a half later and smiled when I saw my parents cuddled on the couch watching ESPN. Mom hated sports, but she tolerated them for Dad's sake the same way he tolerated her love for reality shows. It was hilarious to see my dad sitting around watching _The Real Housewives of Atlanta_. It was also good blackmail material should I ever need it.

"The pies are prepped for tomorrow as is everything else. I'll start the turkey when I get up, and then we should be all set."

"Thank you so much," Mom gushed with Dad, nodding his head enthusiastically beside her.

As I crawled into bed that night, I saw I had several texts waiting for me from Edward. I'd left my phone in my room by accident most of the day and hadn't given it much thought because I'd been so busy.

_Sorry, Edward. Left my phone in my bedroom,_ I texted.

_It's okay. Was just worried when I hadn't heard from you. Ready for turkey day?_

_Yep. I've got everything done except for cooking the turkey._

We texted back and forth for an hour with the occasional text from Alice and my friend, Angela. I wasn't usually one for texting so much, but I wasn't a phone talker either.

Thanksgiving morning, I was up at six to get the turkey ready and in the oven. As much as I loved cooking, there was something about sticking your hand inside a turkey that was disturbing. Once the turkey was in the oven, I went back to bed for a couple of more hours.

By two, everything was ready, and the Clearwaters had arrived. It was good to see them, and Leah and I spent most of the evening talking about college. She was attending college in Oregon, studying to be a nurse. Seth was still in high school, and he was a real quiet and shy kid.

Halfway through dinner, my phone buzzed with a text. I was going to wait to read it, not wanting to be rude, but Mom gave me a nod, telling me it was fine. I opened the text and cracked up at what saw. It was a picture of Emmett, wearing a large bib with a giant turkey on it. I couldn't contain my giggles as I showed it to my family and friends.

"Who is that?" Dad asked between laughs.

"Edward's big brother, Emmett. You met him, remember? Anyway, Edward told me that their mom makes Emmett where a bib on Thanksgiving, but I hadn't believed him."

"Edward, huh?" Dad asked with a raised eyebrow, and I raised one right back at him.

"Yes, Edward. Alice's twin brother and my friend."

"Uh huh," Dad said and probably would have continued to harass me except Mom smacked him on the arm and told him to behave.

"Yeah, Dad. Behave," I said, sticking out my tongue before texting Edward back and thanking him for the hilarious picture.

By eight that night, the Clearwaters had gone home, and the three of us were quickly falling into turkey comas. I was sprawled out on the floor, Dad was lounging in his recliner, and Mom was on the couch. I don't think any of us could have moved even if we'd wanted to. I'd eaten way too much food, and now I was paying the price.

At some point, I managed to crawl upstairs to my room and collapse on my bed. I was content to just lie there, but my phone rang, and I groaned as I pulled it out of my pocket.

"Hello?" I asked, not even looking to see who it was.

"You okay?" a velvet voice laughed on the other end.

"No. Turkey coma."

"Well, why did you eat so much?"

"It wasn't my fault. There was so much there, and it kept calling my name."

He let out his wonderful laugh, and I barely held back a sigh.

"So how was your Thanksgiving?" I asked him.

"Good. Emmett is in a turkey coma as well, drooling while passed out on the couch. Are you drooling?"

I barked out a laugh as I answered no. "Although, my dad was drooling over the turkey and pumpkin pie."

Edward and I talked for an hour before Alice kicked him off the phone to talk to me. She was so excited about Black Friday, and soon she was going on and on about all the stuff she wanted to buy. At some point, I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to Alice yelling at me.

"Are you even listening to me?" she screeched.

"Sorry, Alice. The turkey coma has kicked in, and I can barely stay awake."

She let out a huff and told me she'd talk to me later. I didn't understand how she was still awake if she had to get up at three to go get in line and buy a bunch of crap. Black Friday didn't appeal to me in the least. I figured if there was something I desperately needed, I could always hop online and buy it that way. Actually, that reminded me that I needed to order Dad's present soon. I'd seen him eyeing this fancy fishing pole in one of his fishing magazines. The pole was super expensive, so Mom was pitching in and helping me by paying for half of it.

I set the alarm on my phone for a little after midnight so that I could hop online and see if the price of the fishing pole had lowered any. After that though, I was going back to bed.

At twelve-o-one, my alarm went off, and I dragged myself downstairs to the computer in the living room and logged onto the site. The price on Dad's gift had dropped dramatically, so I went ahead and bought it before switching over to another site to see about getting something for Mom. Before I knew it, it was after two in the morning, but I'd gotten all my shopping done, and I didn't have to stand outside in the cold in a line a mile long. Yawning, I shut the computer down and dragged back to bed, thinking about the gift I'd gotten for Edward. I hoped it wasn't presumptuous of me. I mean, he was my friend, and I always bought my friends gifts. Feeling a bit better about it, I soon fell asleep.

Sunday I drove back to school with a couple of containers holding leftovers. Thankfully, there were no seaweed and pumpkin cookies this time around. I made it back to school around six in the evening and smiled when I saw my favorite band of misfits climbing out of Emmett's Hummer.

I'd barely gotten out of the car before Alice had her arms around me in a hug, and I hugged her back. It was so funny. She acted like she hadn't seen me months instead of a handful of days.

"You look tired," I commented which earned me a swat on the arm from her.

"I was up early on Fridayand stayed up late last night," she told me before rattling on about all the awesome things she'd bought. She'd gone with her mom and Rose, and from what I gathered, they'd shopped for about six hours. The thought boggled my mind. I could hardly shop for one hour, much less six.

The six of us spent the next hour talking and making fun of Emmett and his turkey bib before calling it a night. While it had been nice to go home, I was glad to be back and to see Edward's gorgeous face.

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><p><strong>an: Still with me? Good. I'm enjoying building up the tension and anticipation.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Why yes, you are getting this a day early. I have a friend coming in from out of town, and I'll be engaging in an epic D&D game tomorrow, so you get your update today. Yes, I'm well aware my nerd is showing. I'm okay with that. **

**So big thank you to all of you for showing this story some love, and a huge thanks to my awesome beta, Heather, for fixing my errors. Speaking of my beta, she's out of town, so next week's chapter might be a bit late. Just an FYI.**

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><p>It was the week of finals, and we were all feeling the stress. Alice and I were up late most nights, studying for our tests, and I felt like my brain was going to explode. Tossing my book onto the floor next to my bed, I rolled over and let out a loud sigh. I was tired of studying, I was tired of taking tests, and I was just plain tired.<p>

"I need a break," I complained to Alice who was busy studying for some math exam. "I'm going to head off campus for an hour or so. Want to come with?"

She shook her head, focusing only on her books and the end of the highlighter she was chewing on. Getting up, I slipped my feet into my shoes, threw on my coat, and grabbed my keys and wallet. I didn't care where I was going; I just needed away from the confines of my room, or the cubicle I'd confiscated at the library. I decided to make a pit stop first and see if Edward wanted to go with me. I jogged up the stairs to his floor and knocked on the door loudly so I could be heard over the loud sounds of Papa Roach.

"Hey," Edward answered as he opened the door. He looked just as bad as the rest of us. He had circles under his eyes, a wrinkled shirt, and his glorious hair was everywhere.

"I've gotta get out of here for an hour or two. Want to go with me?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"God, yes!"

He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and shoved his wallet and keys into his back pocket before closing the door behind him. He sent Jasper a quick text letting him know he was out with me, and then we made our way to the parking lot. I was glad I'd grabbed my coat. The temperature wasn't that cold, but it was windy as hell, and I was constantly shoving my hair out of my face. We made it to my car in no time, and I unlocked the doors and jumped in behind the wheel.

"Where are we going?" he asked, rubbing his hands together to warm them up a bit.

"No idea," I told him as I started the engine.

"What are you in the mood for?" he asked me as I pulled out of my parking spot.

"Pie. I don't care what kind. I just want some pie and a large glass of milk."

"Then we should go to Pieon Freemont Avenue," he told me and gave me directions on how to get there.

Twenty some minutes later, I was seated in a booth across from Edward with a huge slice of pumpkin pie topped with ice cream in front of me and a large glass of ice cold milk next to it. Edward had ordered a Southern pecan pie, and it looked just as good as mine.

I cut my pie into two halves and offered half of it to Edward in exchange for half of his. He contemplated for a few seconds, eyeing my plate and his own, before finally agreeing.

"If it was anyone else, I wouldn't have done this. The pecan pie is freaking amazing, so consider yourself lucky," he said with a grin as he pointed his fork at me.

"Well, thank you, kind sir, for agreeing to share. I wanted a slice of both, but there was no way I'd be able to eat two large slices of pie. Hell, I'm probably going to gain ten pounds just eating these small slices."

"And those ten pounds will be worth it. Trust me on this," Edward said before shoveling a large piece of pie into his mouth. He let out a moan that had my insides tingling, and I couldn't tear my gaze away from the way his lips wrapped around the fork. Jesus, it was like watching porn … food porn.

Not wanting to get caught staring at him, I managed to avert my gaze and stared down at my plate. I cut a small piece of the pumpkin pie and took a bite, moaning with pleasure as the flavors hit my tongue. Hell, yes. This was some freaking awesome pie.

"I can't eat anymore," I told Edward later, shoving my plate his way where a small piece of pie remained.

"Wimp," he teased as he ate the last remainders.

I glanced at my phone to check the time as Edward finished up the last of his milk, and I let out a sigh. It was later than I thought. I tended to lose all track of time when I was with Edward.

"What time is it?" he asked me.

"Almost ten," I told him, frowning when he handed our waitress his credit card. He told me not to argue, and that he was paying since I drove, but I still didn't think it was fair. He paid for things far too often, and it wasn't that I didn't appreciate it; I did. I just wasn't comfortable with it.

"Guess we should head back. I've got two exams in a row tomorrow morning, but then I'm done," he said, shoving his credit card back in his wallet and standing up.

"Lucky," I told him with a scowl. "I have two exams tomorrow and one on Friday. Then I'll be done and ready for this break. Although, five weeks without you is going to be a long time," I said, my blush covering my face as I realized what I'd said. I'd meant to say without all of them, but that wasn't what had come out.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze.

"I'm going to miss you, too," he said quietly as we walked out to the car. "But you can always come visit me, or I can visit you. We'll figure something out."

My stomach flipped at his words. He'd said I and not we. I knew that he probably meant to include Alice and Emmett, but he'd said I.

"I'd like that," I said, looking up at him.

"Good," he told me with a wink. "Besides, there's no way Alice is going to go five weeks without seeing you. She's going to have a hard enough time with Jasper being gone for three weeks. We'll make plans to get together. I promise."

I smiled up at him, and he gave my shoulders another squeeze. It felt so natural to be tucked into his side like that. We made it to my car, and I hated the feeling of his arm leaving my shoulders.

Edward walked me up to my room once we got back, and he planted a soft kiss on my cheek as he said goodnight. I stood there, my fingertips pressed lightly against my cheek where he'd kissed it, and I watched him walk away. I wanted to feel those lips against mine more than anything, and lately, it seemed as if Edward was being more affectionate. Not that I was complaining. I certainly wasn't.

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><p>Friday afternoon, I practically ran out of the doors of the theater arts building. I was so glad to have my stupid dance final over with. I was terribly afraid I'd bombed the class, and that really bugged me. I prided myself on getting good grades, but that one class had really thrown me for a curve. I just hoped my professor gave me points for showing up every day and trying hard. Jake thought I was overreacting and told me I'd be fine. I certainly hoped so. I'd signed up for an intro to drawing class for next semester, and I figured that it couldn't be much worse than attempting to dance.<p>

Back in my room, I dug out my large duffel bag and began to get clothes out of my dresser and closet. I still had some clothes at home, but not enough to last me five weeks. It took a while for me to pack everything, and it felt weird knowing I wouldn't be back for over a month. It was funny how this small room had become home.

"When are you leaving?" Alice asked, coming into the room.

"In a few minutes. I just wanted to say goodbye to you guys first and give you all your presents."

She threw herself at me in a tight hug and promised we'd see each other soon. A few minutes later, the rest of the crew showed up, and I was given hugs by everyone. I hugged Jasper and Rosalie a little longer than the others since I wouldn't be seeing them for quite some time. They were flying back to Texas first thing in the morning and would be staying down there for at least three weeks. I handed them all their Christmas presents, and I got presents in return and promised not to open them until Christmas day. After getting a hug from each one of them, Edward's being a little longer and tighter; I shot them all one last wave before heading out to the parking lot to begin the trip home.

I played Christmas music the whole way home, grinning when I pulled into the driveway of our house and saw the Christmas lights and the wreaths were hung up. Mom and I loved Christmas, and we tended to go all out. Dad always ended up getting dragged into it because Mom made him hang the lights or put up the decorations in the yard. He usually grumbled the whole time, but secretly, I think he liked it.

I was surprised to find the house empty. Mom was usually home by four. I knew Dad was still at work, but I wasn't sure where Mom was. After putting my bag in my room, I pulled out my phone and called Mom.

"Hi, honey! Are you home?" she asked after answering.

"Yep."

"I'll be home in a few. I just needed to pick up some stuff at the store. What did you want for dinner?"

"Oh, I was planning on making dinner tonight," I told her, terrified of what recipe she might have come up with.

"The fridge is pretty bare. I can pick up whatever you need."

I told her I was planning on making lasagna, garlic bread, and salad, and she hummed in delight. She informed me she'd be home in twenty minutes or so after I gave her the list of ingredients I'd need.

While I was waiting for her, I sent off a quick text to Edward, letting him know I'd arrived home safely, and then I took a seat on the couch and turned on the TV. I got lost in a crime show and jumped when the front door opened, and Mom came in.

"Hi, sweetheart," Mom said, setting the groceries bags down on the counter and coming over to give me a hug.

I hugged her back and then followed her into the kitchen so I could prepare dinner. Mom sat at the table, and we chatted while I prepped. A little before seven, the front door opened, and Dad came in. Mom had told me that Dad loved being back at work, but he hated that someone had to drive him to and from. He would be getting out of his cast next week, and he could hardly wait. Mom told me she could hardly wait either. She was tired of carting him around. It was all said with a wink aimed his way.

"Something smells delicious," he said, hobbling over to me and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Lasagna and garlic bread," I told him and was rewarded with a huge smile.

"Boy, I've missed your cooking. Rennie tries, but we all know yours is better," he said, winking at Mom.

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><p>I'd been home for a week when I got a call from Edward wanting to know if I wanted to meet up with him.<p>

"I'd love to, but I have to take Dad to get his cast off his leg today. Maybe we could get together tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we can do that. Want to meet up in Port Angeles? It'll be easier than you having to drive all the way into Seattle."

"That should be fine. I'll let my folks know, but they shouldn't have any problems with it."

As I drove my dad to the hospital, I thought about the best way to approach the subject of meeting up with Edward. I wasn't sure if it was just him or Alice and Emmett as well.

"Uh, Dad?"

"What's up, Bells?"

"If it's cool with you and Mom, I'm going to meet up with Edward tomorrow in Port Angeles."

"Edward, huh?" he grunted, staring out the window. "Are you dating him?"

"No. We're just friends."

"But, you like him?"

I nodded as I pulled into the hospital parking lot. "Yeah, I do. A lot, but for now, we're nothing more than friends."

"As long as he's nice to you and treats you well, we're okay with it. We'd like to meet him though, especially if things change."

And that was that.

The next day, I began the hour drive up to Port Angeles, my stomach full of butterflies. Edward had called me last night to confirm our plans, and it was going to be just the two of us.

We were meeting at a great Italian restaurant for lunch, and then I wasn't sure what we were going to do. I smiled when I saw his shiny, silver Volvo in the parking lot with him leaning against it, doing something on his phone. I pulled into the spot next to his, and he looked up, flashing me a huge smile. Oh, yeah, I was beyond falling for him. I'd crashed and burned.

"Hey," he said, walking over to me and giving me a hug once I was out of the car.

"Hey, yourself," I told him, leaning into his hug and inhaling the wonderful smell that was Edward combined with his aftershave.

"So, what's good here?" he asked me once we were seated. I told him I was partial to the mushroom ravioli, and he made a look of disgust.

"We have got to work on your weird food issues," he said with a shake of his head.

My mouth fell open as I looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You like to eat weird food. I don't know if I can continue to hang out with you if this is going to persist."

I tossed my napkin at him and rolled my eyes as I told him there was nothing wrong with me or my food tastes.

"Perhaps, you need to broaden your food horizons," I suggested, smiling my thanks to the waitress as she set a basket of breadsticks down in front of us. This place had the most amazing bread sticks ever, and I could eat an entire basket of them by myself.

Halfway through our lunch, I heard someone call Edward's name. Looking up to see who could possibly know him in Port Angeles, I spotted a girl coming our way with frizzy brown hair, and I grimaced. Jessica Freaking Stanley. She had been the biggest gossip at Forks High, Mike's ex-girlfriend, and all-around mean girl.

"Edward! What in the world are you doing here?" she asked, throwing her arms around him in an awkward hug.

"Eating lunch," he said wryly.

"I can see that. And who is thi—" she stopped midsentence and stared at me, her eyes narrowing as she recognized me. "Bella Swan," she hissed.

I mentally prepared myself to do battle.

"Well, you certainly do get around, don't you?" she asked, her hands on her hips and glaring at me. "First, you steal Mike from me, and now you're going after my cousin!"

Her voice was getting louder, my face was getting redder, and people were starting to stare. This was not how envisioned my lunch with Edward going.

"Lower your voice right now, Jessica, or I'll let the world know all about you," Edward told her through gritted teeth.

Her jaw dropped open, and she stared at him like she'd never seen him before.

"Do you know who she is?" she whispered at him, jabbing a finger my way.

"Yes, I do. Bella is my extremely good friend, and I know all about Mike in case you were thinking of throwing that in there."

At the mention of Mike's name, Jessica's eyes narrowed once more, and she let out a hiss. "Don't tell me you bought into her bullshit lies about him? He'd never hurt a fly. Never. She made all that up because he was going to break up with her."

"Bullshit!" I hissed, and it was taking everything in me not to scream at her. "The police have pictures as do the doctors that prove that he attacked me. The fact that he did time, proves that he attacked me, and the fact that you're standing up for him, proves that you're an idiot. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to finish our lunch. You need to leave."

She puffed up, and I just knew she was about to cause a huge scene. Edward must have realized it as well because he stood up, took her by the arm, and dragged her toward the door. He leaned down and said something in her ear that caused her to turn pale and nod. She left without saying another thing, and I sighed in relief.

"I didn't realize you knew Jessica," he told me as he returned back to his seat.

"Yeah, you could say I do. Alice told me she was your cousin. I feel bad for you."

He let out a snort. "Feel bad for her if you're going to feel bad for anybody. She's a wreck and so is her life. I'm sorry she ruined our lunch."

I reached across the table and took his hand in mine, giving it a squeeze. I was positive he could feel my hand trembling, and I smiled when he squeezed back.

"She hasn't ruined anything. It was a minor inconvenience. That's all."

We finished our lunch after I reluctantly let go of his hand, and after the bill was paid, we wandered out toward our cars.

"Where to?" Edward asked.

"Follow me," I told him with a smile.

I waited until he was in his car before pulling out of the parking lot, making sure he was behind me. I'd decided to take him to the marine center. There weren't a lot of places open in December, but the center was open all year round.

"Cool," he said with a grin as he climbed out of his Volvo which he'd parked next to me.

"Yeah, it's a neat place. It's one of the first places Mom and Dad brought me to when we first moved to Forks."

"Wait. You're not originally from Forks?" he asked, confusion on his face.

"Nope. I was born in Phoenix. We didn't move to Washington until my freshman year of high school. My grandma lived in Forks, so we'd visit, and when she died, she left the house to Dad. He was looking for a change from the big city, so we packed up and moved to Forks."

"How did I not know this?"

I shrugged. "It never came up. Anyway, this place is pretty neat. It's small, but it's got lots of tanks where you can touch the crustaceans and stuff."

We spent almost two hours at the marine center, laughing and having a great time. I didn't want the day to end, but I knew Edward had told his mom he'd be home for dinner, and he had a two hour drive ahead of him. So, it was with a heavy heart that I said goodbye to him.

"This was fun," he told me as we stopped next to his car.

"Yeah, it was a great date," I said, and then my face turned bright red as I realized I'd called it a date. I hoped the ground would open and swallow me up.

"I'm sorry," I said, so incredibly embarrassed. "I meant to say day. I've had a great day with you. I know this isn't a date. I don't know why I said that," I rambled on.

A finger placed itself on my lips, effectively shutting me up. I stood there staring at the ground until his finger left my lips and placed itself under my chin, forcing me to look up. I kept my gaze adverted until he quietly asked me to look at him. Reluctantly, I did so.

"One of these days, I am going to ask you out on a real date, and I'm hoping you'll say yes," he told me with a sweet smile, and I felt myself blushing even more as I nodded my head; like I would ever say no to a date with Edward.

Taking my hands in his, he gave them a gentle squeeze. "In case you haven't figured it out by now, I like you a lot. I like you more than I've liked any other girl before, and I have to admit, it kind of scares me. I think that's one of the reasons why I haven't properly asked you out yet. I wanted to give myself time to get used to the feelings, and I also felt I needed some time alone to find myself again before starting another relationship."

He paused for a moment, his cheeks a light pink, and I knew mine were a bright red.

"I'll definitely say yes when you ask me out," I told him softly. "I swore off guys after Mike, and I told myself I wouldn't get involved with anyone for a while, but then I met you."

"Well, I'm glad to know that what I'm feeling isn't one sided," he said, squeezing my hands again.

"Please, was there ever any doubt?" I scoffed with an eye roll. "I'm pretty sure it was obvious to the world that I liked you."

"Maybe, but it's nice to have it confirmed. Alice swore you liked me, but sometimes, she only sees what she wants to, and not what's really true."

A ringing of a phone interrupted us, and I barely held back a sigh at the interruption. Edward apologized as he answered it with an eye roll.

"Hi, Mom," he said before pausing to listen to her. "Yep. I'm just about to leave, so I'll be home in a couple of hours."

Another pause, and then, "Yeah, I'll tell her. Love you, too."

He hung up his phone before shoving into his back pocket.

"My mom says hello," he told me with a smile. "She's heard a lot about you from me as well as Alice and Emmett. She really wants to meet you at some point."

"I'd like that," I told him shyly. "My folks want to meet you as well. I mean, I know they sort of did on move in day, but my Dad told me they really want to meet you if we decide to start dating."

"Your dad owns a gun, doesn't he?" Edward asked with some trepidation.

"Several," I told him with a grin. "But don't worry; I won't let him shoot you in any vital areas."

"Ha!" he barked out. "Well, I've got to get going. Mom doesn't like me driving in the dark for long distances."

"Understandable. Let me know that you got home safely."

"You, too," he said before leaning down and giving me a hug. I hugged him back, sighing when he planted a kiss on my cheek.

"I'll talk to you later," he said, and I nodded, watching as he climbed into his car.

I could barely remember the drive home from Port Angeles. My mind kept replaying the conversation we had, and at one point, I let out an incredibly girly squeal. Edward likes me! He really likes me! And not just as a friend, but as someone he wants to date! I knew I'd be calling Angela as soon as I got home. She knew all about my crush on Edward and begged me to keep her informed.

As soon as I arrived home, I sent Edward a text letting him know I'd made it home. I didn't expect to hear from him for another hour, so I was surprised when I got a text back with a smiley face attached. Frowning, I called him.

"You'd better not be texting while driving, Edward Cullen!" I warned when he answered.

"I was stopped at a red light," he said.

We spoke for a few minutes more before hanging up, and the second I walked in the door, Mom was all over me, wanting to know how my date had gone.

"It wasn't a date," I protested for the hundredth time, and I didn't fail to notice the looks Mom

and Dad shot each other. "It wasn't. But, he did tell me that he wants to take me out on a proper date."

"When do I meet him?" Dad asked as soon as I finished speaking.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Chances are, we won't go out until after we get back to school. I guess you can meet him then."

"What do his parents do?" Dad asked, and I settled in on the couch for the interrogation.

"His dad's a doctor, and his mom's an interior designer. They live on Mercer Island. Edward has a twin sister, my roommate, Alice, and an older brother, Emmett. You've met them both. They're also Jessica Stanley's cousins."

Mom made a face at that. "Hmph, well at least they're nicer than she is. That girl is just dreadful."

Of course, that led me to telling them about running into Jessica at lunch. Mom was appalled that Jessica called me a liar, and Dad was livid.

"I always knew that girl was stupid," he muttered, and I let out a laugh. I agreed wholeheartedly with him on that.

A couple hours later, I hugged them and kissed them goodnight before heading up to my room to give Angela a call. She'd known I was meeting Edward for lunch, and she was probably eagerly awaiting the details.

"Spill," she demanded the second she picked up the phone.

I let out a laugh at her eagerness before delving into all the details of the day. She squealed in a very un-Angela like way when I told her what he'd said about liking me.

"I knew it! I just knew he liked you."

"How in the world did you know that?" I asked with a laugh. "You've never even met him."

"Gut instinct," she said smugly. "I knew the minute you told me about all the times the two of you have gone out or eaten together. You're non-dating."

"We're what?"

"Non-dating. You know, a non-committal meet up between hypothetically single people, during non-date-night times."

"Where in the world did you come up with that?"

"Urban Dictionary," she confessed in a sheepish tone, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine, we're non-daters then. Although, that's going to be changing soon. I hope."

"It will. I have a feeling Edward means what he says."

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><p><strong>an: Progress is being made! Yay! I've got to tell you, I'm having a blast writing this story. Feel free to leave me your thoughts! I love to hear what you're thinking.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! I appreciate each one of them so much! Now, this chapter is the longest one yet, and we see some progress being made, so I'll let you get on with it. Thanks to Heather for being an awesome beta!**

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><p>"Merry Christmas!" I hollered as I came down the stairs and made my way into the kitchen where I would begin making chocolate chip pancakes. It had become tradition since I was about eleven, and I'd first learned to cook. Every Christmas morning since, I'd holler <em>Merry Christmas <em>and make breakfast while Mom and Dad stumbled out of their room, wrapped up in robes with slippers on their feet.

I got a pot of coffee started and began to mix the batter. A few minutes later, Dad came into the kitchen in a tattered bathrobe that was older than I was. He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Merry Christmas, kiddo," he said in a sleepy voice.

A few minutes later, Mom came in wearing an equally ancient robe and a pair of ugly house slippers, and I mean ugly. Good thing I'd gotten her new ones for Christmas because the ones on her feet had to go.

After a delicious breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and orange juice, we went into the living room to gather around the Christmas tree. Dad played Santa every year, donning a bright red Santa hat and dolling out gifts. Minutes later, I had a small pile gathered at my feet from Mom and Dad as well as from my friends. I couldn't wait to tear into them, and I did so with glee. I loved opening presents. Maybe it was the anticipation of what was inside, or perhaps, it was the sound of paper ripping. Whatever it was, I freaking loved it.

"Holy sh—smokes!" I yelped when I stared at the box in front of me. There was no way Mom and Dad could have afforded to get me this, not after getting me a car.

"We weren't sure what kind to get you, but the guy at the store said that one was the best, and you'd said your old laptop was starting to die," Dad said as I continued to stare at the box that contained a MacBook Pro.

"I—" I couldn't even get any words out because I was so gob Smacked. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I got up from the couch and threw myself at Dad, hugging him hard before moving on to Mom. I stammered my thanks over and over, because I truly was in shock.

"You're quite welcome, sweetie," Mom said.

Since I'd gotten such a huge gift from them, I only got two other things from Mom and Dad: an Amazon gift card and a beautiful sweater. Dad loved his fishing pole, and Mom loved her new slippers and books that I'd gotten her. The only gifts I had left to open were from the Cullens and the Whitlocks. I decided to save Edward's gift for last and opened Alice's first. She'd given me a really cute pair of jeans and a cute blouse to go with it. I wasn't surprised at all that she'd chosen to get me clothes. Emmett and Rose had combined their gift and got me a hundred dollar gift card to use anywhere at the mall, and Jasper had gotten me an iTunes gift card. Pleased with all of my gifts, I turned to the box that was left.

Slowly, I unwrapped the paper and opened the box. Nestled inside the box was a smaller box. Reaching in, I took the smaller box out, my stomach nervous as I did so. The small box was thin and rectangular, and I gasped when I opened it. Inside the box was a necklace with a gorgeous dragonfly attached to it. In one of our many talks, I'd mentioned to Edward how much I loved dragonflies, but I hadn't realized he was paying so much attention.

"What is it?" Mom asked at my gasp.

Slowly and carefully, I took the necklace out of the box. It was sterling silver and the body of the dragonfly was a sapphire. It was way too much, and I'd be scolding Edward later, but I loved it.

"Oh, that's beautiful," she cooed as she took it from me. Mom helped me put it on, and I couldn't stop touching it.

Excusing myself, I headed upstairs to my room to send Edward a picture of me wearing the necklace and to thank him.

_Merry Christmas! Thanks so much for the necklace!_ I texted.

A few seconds later, I got a response back.

_Merry Christmas to you too. Glad you liked it._

_I love it. It's too much, but I love it._

A minute after I'd texted him, my phone rang, and it was him calling. I quickly answered it, smiling when I heard his velvet voice.

"I knew you'd think it was too much, but I really hoped you'd like it," he said.

"It is too much, but like I said, I love it. It's beautiful. I don't think anyone's ever given me such a nice jewelry before."

"You're quite welcome. Thank you for the wonderful journal."

I smiled, glad that he'd liked it. I'd discovered one day when I was perusing his bookshelf that Edward kept journals. Lots and lots of journals. So, I'd gotten him a custom handmade leather journal with his name engraved on the front.

We spent the next two hours talking about Christmas, our gifts, and everything in between. At one point, Alice butted in and demanded to talk to me. Reluctantly, Edward handed his phone over, telling me he'd be back to save me from Alice's chattering.

"Thanks so much for the clothes," I told her.

"Did you like them? I saw them and thought they screamed _Bella, _so I had to get them for you. By the way, thank you so much for the gift card."

I hated giving gift cards because they always felt so impersonal, yet at the same time, if you got the card for some place they loved, it seemed like a good gift. The gift card I'd give Alice was to a fabric store where she spent a lot of money buying fabrics and sewing stuff. She made a lot of her own clothes since she was studying fashion design.

"It's really a great gift. Mom and Dad got me a new sewing machine like the ones on _Project Runway_. It's so freaking awesome, and it's totally coming back with me."

I had no idea where she was going to put the sewing machine since our room was filled to capacity as it was, but I knew she'd find a way. Eventually, Alice handed the phone back to Edward, and he and I talked for a while longer until Mom called my name.

"Sorry, Edward. I've gotta go. Talk tomorrow?"

"You bet. Have a good night."

I shoved my phone in my pocket and headed downstairs to see what Mom wanted. Turned out, she wanted to help me make Christmas dinner. Mom didn't ask a lot of me, and I found that I couldn't say no. So with a bit of trepidation and an apologetic look aimed my father's way, I agreed. Christmas dinner was going to consist of a ham, green bean casserole, rolls, mashed potatoes, and a pumpkin pie. I got Mom started on peeling the potatoes. I figured she couldn't really mess that up.

"Nice job on the potatoes, Rennie," Dad said several hours later over dinner. Mom had successfully made homemade mashed potatoes, and she hadn't screwed it up. Oh, she'd wanted to get creative by adding things into it, but I'd put my foot down.

"I did good, didn't I?" she preened, and Dad nodded as he leaned over and picked up her hand, giving it a smooch.

"So, now you can make mashed potatoes. Next year we'll work on green bean casserole," I told her.

After dinner was over, I headed up to my room. I was exhausted after the long day, and I woke up at around three am to find myself still dressed and on top of the covers. Getting up, I used the bathroom before changing into my pajamas and getting into bed.

* * *

><p>The next week dragged on and on, and it felt that it would never end. Mom and Dad were going to some New Year's Eve party, but I'd begged off. I preferred to stay at home and talk to Edward on the phone, and my parents were cool with that. Actually, I think Dad was thrilled he wouldn't have to worry about me being out on the roads with all the drunks and party goers. I didn't want to have to deal with them either, so staying home was perfectly fine with me.<p>

A little after nine, my phone rang, and I grinned seeing it was Edward. He asked me if I wanted to Skype so we could see each other, and I agreed. Of course, he had to stay on the phone with me as I set up the program and figured out how to use my Mac. It took longer than expected, but I didn't really care. I was spending time with Edward and, that was all that was important.

"Okay. You should be all set. I'm going to call you, and all you have to do is accept the call," he said before hanging up his phone.

I stared at the screen, and a few seconds later, it told me I had an incoming call and asked if I wanted to accept it. Eagerly, I hit the button, and seconds later, Edward's beautiful face filled the screen.

"Hey, you!" he said with a grin, and I grinned back, giving him a little wave.

"Hi, yourself! How are you?" I asked him.

"I'm good. Better now that I can see your face," he said, shooting a wink my way.

I rolled my eyes at him. He was so goofy sometimes. "Are you all staying home tonight?"

He shook his head as he told me that Alice and Emmett were going to some huge New Year's Eve party.

"You're not going?"

"Nah. I'd rather stay here and talk to you than have to ward off unwanted advances or deal with drunken idiots."

"Understandable," I said. "Mom and Dad have gone off to a party at a friend's house, but I declined to tag along with them. My friend, Angela, is going to your cousin's party, but I'm not about to set foot in Jessica's house. Besides, chances are good that my dad will get called in by his deputies to break up her party later tonight."

Edward let out a laugh at that. "Does that happen a lot? I can't imagine Forks is a real party hub."

"You'd be surprised," I told him. "Small town kids don't have a lot to do here, so there are more than a few parties. Most of them are hosted by Jessica, and I'm fairly certain that Dad has broken up every single one. I know he's threatened to arrest her parents for contributing alcohol to minors."

"Uncle Martin and Aunt Shelby don't care what Jessica does. They pretty much let her run wild," he commented dryly. "Mom and Aunt Shelby have argued about it before. They're half-sisters, but they don't really get along well."

I'd wondered how the Cullens were related to Jessica. Seeing as how kind they were, I couldn't imagine how they could possibly be related to the nastiness that was Jessica. I'd also had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Stanley. They considered themselves Forks royalty, which wasn't saying much considering the size and wealth of this town.

"Yeah, it's obvious they allow Jessica to do whatever she wants," I agreed. "She gets whatever she wants and always acted like she was the queen of the school."

"Enough about her," Edward said. "Tell me something about yourself that I don't know."

"Um …," I had to think for a moment. "I hate apples unless they're in an apple pie."

He let out a laugh. "There you go again with your weird food issues," he teased.

"Oh, shut up," I muttered. "So, tell me something that I don't know about you."

"Alice and I are adopted," he told me. "Mom had complications after Emmett as born, and she had to have a hysterectomy. Well, Mom and Dad wanted more kids, so they looked into adopting, and that's how they met our biological mother. She was sixteen and alone and wasn't in a good place to raise us. Mom and Dad adopted us when we were four days old."

"Oh, wow," I said softly. "I kind of feel lame for telling you about my dislike of apples. I'll make it up to you. My parents divorced when I was seven, but they got remarried each other when I was nine."

"Hold on. Your parents divorced and then remarried each other?"

I nodded. "Yep. They'd divorced because Mom hated Dad being a cop. At the time, we were living in Phoenix, and he was part of the Gang Taskforce Unit. Mom was afraid he'd end up getting killed. Eventually, their arguments led to a divorce. It wasn't that they didn't love each other anymore; they did, but Mom had issues with Dad's job."

"So, how did they get back together?"

Well, it took a few things happening to make them see reality. Mom got remarried to this guy named Phil when I was eight. He was a nice enough guy who wanted to be a professional baseball player, but in the end, he left her. I don't think she really loved him; not the way she loved my dad. At any rate, Mom and Dad were still really friendly and still did things together with me, and when I was almost nine, Dad moved back into the house. He quit the taskforce and joined the homicide department, and then when my grandmother died, we moved up here, and Dad became a small town cop. He loves it as does Mom."

"Anything else I should know?" Edward asked a few minutes later.

"I'm a sleep talker. I'd be surprised if Alice hasn't mentioned something about it, but then again, she sleeps like the dead."

We talked for hours, and before I knew it, the TV that I'd turned on for background noise was counting down to the New Year. Edward and I looked at each other and counted down the last five seconds before shouting, "Happy New Year!" at each other. At that moment, I wished more than anything that he was there in person with me so I could get a midnight kiss.

We talked for about a half hour more before my yawns interrupted us, and we said goodnight. I slept great that night and could hardly believe that my vacation was almost over. Actually, I was glad break was almost over. Five weeks was a long time, and it wasn't that I hadn't enjoyed my time off; I had. But, I was ready to get back into the swing of things and to be with my friends and Edward. I'd caught up with Alice, Edward, and Emmett twice over the break, and we'd had a great time hanging out. Unfortunately, Rose and Jasper had ended up spending the whole break in Texas much to Alice and Emmett's disappointment. Alice had said there'd been a problem on the horse ranch, and the two hadn't been able to leave early.

* * *

><p>I let out a groan as I hauled all of my crap up the stairs to my room. I swore I didn't remember taking this much stuff home, and the only thing new I'd brought back with me was my MacBook. I was halfway up the stairs to my room when I ran across Lauren's friend, Bree. She shot me a nasty look and purposely bumped into me, almost knocking me down the stairs. Only the fact that I had my hand on the railing kept me from falling. I understood that she was friends with Lauren and was pissed on her behalf, and I got that, but taking it out on me wasn't right nor was fair.<p>

"What the hell is your problem?" I snapped at her.

"Excuse me?" she shot back.

"Oh, don't act all innocent. You almost knocked me down the stairs just now, and you've been whispering about me and shooting me dirty looks every chance you get. I didn't break Edward and Lauren up, so get over it. Geez, you'd almost think Edward broke up with you the way you're acting," I snarled at her.

She appeared taken back by my words but then shot me one more dirty look before tossing her hair over her shoulders and stalking off down the stairs. What a bitch.

Gritting my teeth, I continued my way up the stairs and sighed when I reached my room. I unlocked the door and dragged my bag in behind me, leaving it in the middle of the room. Alice wasn't back yet, and I knew it would be a few hours before I saw her. She, along with her brothers, were going to be picking Rose and Jasper up from the airport and then coming back here.

I flopped down on my bed, not really wanting to unpack anything at the moment, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. I was awoken by the beeping of my phone. A quick glance at it told me the gang was on their way back from the airport and would be arriving soon. Yawning and stretching, I got up from my bed and began to unpack my stuff. My new laptop was put on my desk while the old one was stored in the closet. Once my clothes and shoes were put away, I ran a brush through my hair and dabbed on some lip gloss. I was wearing the necklace Edward had given me—I only took it off in the shower or when I was sleeping—and a cute sweater with a pair of corduroys. I looked decent enough, and I decided to run down to the parking lot to meet them and help them haul their stuff upstairs.

I hung around in the common area until I saw Emmett's Hummer followed by Edward's Volvo. Cursing myself for not grabbing my coat, I dashed outside into the cold, brisk air and quickly made my way toward them.

Jasper grabbed me up in a hug the second he saw me and planted a loud kiss to the top of my head. Rose and I exchanged hugs as well before Alice flung herself at me. Laughing, I caught her and hugged her too although I'd just seen her not that long ago.

"Well, hello to you, too. I take it you missed me," I teased her, and she responded by sticking her tongue out at me.

"I missed you more," Edward said from behind her, opening up his arms for a hug. I untangled myself from Alice, doing my best to ignore the smirks the others were wearing, and gave Edward a huge hug.

"I missed you as well even though I just talked to you yesterday," I said with a teasing smile.

"That's a pretty necklace," Rose said as we began to make our way inside.

"Thank you," I told her. "Edward gave it to me for Christmas."

Rose let out a whistle as she applauded Edward on his great taste in jewelry.

"Now, if only you could pass it on to Emmett. His idea of fine jewelry is a plastic ring out of the vending machine at the grocery store."

I let out a snort because I could totally see Emmett doing that.

"It was from the bottom of a Cracker Jack box, Rosie. Geez."

I about died trying to hold my laughter in because he looked so sincere. Emmett was such a loveable goof, and he was like the big brother I never had.

Once everyone was unpacked, we all convened in Edward and Jasper's room to watch movies, eat pizza, and catch up. Rose and Jasper filled us in on why they hadn't been able to come back early. Apparently, someone had been cutting the fences and allowing the horses to get out and roam wild.

"Daddy finally found out who it was and had them arrested, but it caused a lot of extra work around the ranch," said Rose. "I don't think I've had to chase down so many horses or fix so many fences in my life. It was nuts."

"Add in the fact that Mama wasn't feeling well, and there was just no way we could leave early," Jasper added.

"Is your mom okay?" I asked.

Rose and Jasper exchanged looks before Rose answered me.

"Mama's fine. She's … well, she's pregnant."

Judging from the stunned looks on the Cullen's faces they hadn't known that either. I couldn't imagine my parents having another kid this late in the game, but I suppose they could. They were still young enough. I mean, my folks were only thirty-nine and forty.

"Wow. Are you okay with it?" Edward asked them.

They both shrugged.

"It's gonna be weird having a sibling who's so much younger than we are," Jasper said in a quiet voice.

"I'm more worried about Mama than anything," Rose answered. "She's forty-six, and I know that celebrities and shit have babies later in life, but I'm still a little worried."

"So, how was your Christmas?" Jasper asked me, changing the subject.

"It was nice. Quiet since there are only three of us, but it was good. I got some nice gifts," I told him.

The six of us hung out until ten before heading our separate ways. We all had classes first thing in the morning. Well, not all of us. Alice never took a class before nine. She said it was uncivilized. Personally, I preferred to get all my classes done and out of the way so I could relax in the afternoons. However, this semester I was taking a night class. I wasn't thrilled about it, but it was a requirement and was only offered every other semester. And, I'd finally settled on a major: counseling.

Alice and I said goodnight to everyone and walked back downstairs to our room. The second the door was closed behind us, she jumped on her bed and stared at me. It was a bit unnerving.

"What?" I finally asked.

"Has he asked you out a real date yet?" she demanded to know.

I shook my head. "Not yet, but he said he was going to, and that he hoped I'd say yes when he did, and I will."

She bounced up and down on her bed, and I was afraid she was going to break it. I'd never seen her so giddy before. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She was a naturally giddy person, but I'd never seen her bouncing around like this.

"Yay! I can't wait!" she squealed, clapping her hands.

"That makes two of us," I told her with a smile before grabbing my pajamas and toiletry kit and making my way to the bathroom.

I changed clothes, brushed my teeth, and washed my face before heading back into the room. Alice had changed while I was gone, and she dashed out of the room as soon as I opened the door, saying something about being a small person with a small bladder.

I giggled at her as I climbed into bed, and despite my nap earlier, I was asleep within minutes. I woke up to the sound of my alarm as well as a grumbling Alice and quickly shut the thing off. The alarm, not Alice. Getting up, I dressed quickly and headed out to my first class of the day, Introduction to Art. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I could doodle with the best of them. You know: random squiggles, hearts with names in them, and even the occasional stick person.

I walked into the classroom, balking when I saw Lauren was in the class with me. She had commandeered an easel in the back, so I made sure to choose one right up front and close to the professor's desk. The last thing I wanted was a confrontation with her or to have her throw paint or some other artistic crap on me. Thankfully, she ignored me, and as class went on, I forgot she was even there. I was too busy focusing on my attempt to sketch an apple in a bowl. _Why did people always draw fruit in bowls? _

"Your apple needs a little work," Dr. Roberts said to me as he assessed my work before moving on.

"Yeah, well apples suck," I muttered under my breath as I attempted to make the stupid apple on my canvas look better. It was a lost cause, and I finally just gave up.

As soon as class was over, I booked it out of the room and headed toward my second class of the day. I was a bit surprised to see Rose in my class but thrilled at the same time. It made it easier when there was someone I knew in class although class with Edward proved to be a bit of a distraction for me.

My Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule was the same as it had been last semester, so I was done with classes by noon. I was on my way to the cafeteria when someone tugged playfully on my ponytail. I turned around and saw a gorgeous looking Edward grinning at me.

"Hey!" I beamed, thrilled to see him. I was sad I didn't have any classes with him this semester, so I'd take any chance I could to see him.

"Hey, yourself. Where are you off to?" he asked.

"The cafeteria. I'm done with classes for the day. What about you?"

"I think I'll join you for lunch if you don't mind. I've got a break right now and then a class at one."

Tossing an arm around my shoulders, he walked us into the student center and up the stairs to the cafeteria. We got in line, got our food, and stopped short when we saw people sitting at our table.

"Looks like we have to find a new place to sit," he said with a sigh, his gaze scanning the cafeteria. "Follow me."

Edward weaved his way around people, tables, and chairs until he reached the far end of the cafeteria and sat down at a small table tucked into a corner next to a window. I set my tray down across from his and took a seat, taking a quick glance around the room. I noticed that Bree was staring daggers at us from across the way, and I shook my head.

"Do you not want to sit here?" Edward asked, seeing me shake my head.

"What? No! This is fine. I'm sorry. I noticed Bree giving us the death glare, and I can't figure out what her problem is. She got in my face yesterday when I came back as well."

Edward sat down across from me at the small table for two and shook his head as well.

"She's weird," he said. "And not in a good way. I seriously think she's a few fries short of a happy meal."

"It seems to me as though she's taking your breakup with Lauren far worse than she should be," I told him.

"Yeah, I know. It's kind of creepy. I'd talk to Lauren about it, but I'm not sure that's a good idea," he said in between bites of lasagna.

"I have a class with her. I could always broach the subject. I doubt she'd attack me in a classroom full of people," I suggested.

"Nah. Let's not worry about it. Let's just chalk it up to the fact that Bree is crazy and leave it at that. So, how were your classes?" he asked, changing the subject.

Over lunch, we talked about our morning classes and whether we thought we'd like them or not. We talked about what classes we were looking forward to, and then Edward leaned across the table and took one of my hands in his. I froze for a moment before looking at him.

"Would you like to go on a date with me this week?"

"You know I would," I told him with a smile and a blush. "I can't do Tuesday or Thursday because of my night class, but any other night works for me."

"How about Wednesday night at seven?"

"That sounds great," I said with a big smile.

"Excellent," he said with a grin, giving my hand a squeeze.

I was sure I had the world's largest smile on my face, and I probably looked like an idiot, but I didn't care. Edward Cullen had asked me out! Sure, he'd said he would, but knowing it and having him actually do it were two separate things.

We put away our trays after dumping our trash and made our way out of the cafeteria. I swore I floated down the stairs; I was so giddy. I actually pinched myself at one point to make sure it was real and not a dream.

"I've got to get to class," Edward said as we reached the bottom of the stairs that led down from the cafeteria.

"See you later?" I asked.

"Definitely," he said with a grin before placing a kiss on my cheek and giving my shoulder a squeeze. I stood there for a few minutes, watching as he walked out the door. Realizing that I was in the way of traffic, I headed into the student center and took a seat on one of the couches in the main area. I needed a moment to focus and calm down. Taking a few deep breaths, I pulled my phone out and sent Angela a text. I knew she wouldn't get it right away, but I had to let someone know. I thought about texting Alice, but she was in class, and I'd be seeing her in a few hours. Besides, she probably already knew that he was going to ask me out.

I sat down there for about twenty minutes, watching some kids play ping pong and pool before deciding to go for a walk. I was in such a great mood that I didn't want to spend it cooped up in my room. It was cold outside, but I had my coat on, so I began to walk to the small park that was a block from campus.

I got to the park and found it empty, so I took a seat on one of the swings. Making sure my phone was securely tucked away in my pocket, I pushed myself with my feet, and soon, I was swinging and laughing like a little kid. I felt so carefree and light, and I loved every minute of it.

Finally, I slowed down and jumped off the swing, grinning like a loon when I landed on my feet. I checked the time on my phone, and seeing that it was a little after two, I decided to head back to campus. As I walked back, a weird feeling came over me, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Clenching my keys in my fist and making sure I had the pepper spray ready, I whirled around but saw no one. I really felt like someone was watching me, and I began to walk faster. Thankfully, I was back on campus in a matter of minutes, but I was left feeling nervous and uneasy. Someone had definitely been watching me. I just knew it. I hurried toward my dorm and sighed with relief once I was safely inside.

I made my way up to my room, unlocked the door, and went inside, tossing my bag onto my desk chair. I looked down at my hands and noticed for the first time how badly they were shaking. I told myself that I was just overreacting, but I wasn't. I knew I wasn't.

"Hey, roommie!" Alice shouted as she came into the room fifteen minutes later. "I feel like I haven't seen you all day. Oh, wait. I haven't."

I gave her a small smile, and immediately, she knew something was up. Without her even having to ask, I told her about my feelings of being watched as I walked back from the park.

"Please don't go back there alone," she pleaded, and I agreed.

"On a positive note, Edward asked me out on a date for Wednesday," I said in an oh so casual voice.

She stared at me before throwing herself into my arms and squealing loudly in my ear. I was pretty sure I was going to be deaf in that ear from then on.

"I knew it!" she screamed after she let me go. "I just knew it. He's been acting all secretive today."

Calming down, she asked me where he was taking me, and I told her I didn't have a clue. He hadn't said where we were going or how I was supposed to dress. All he'd given me was a time.

"Hmph. Well, that's no good. I'll need more info than that so I can properly dress you," she said with a frown, hands on her hips. "Is he back from class yet?"

I shrugged. "He should be."

She stalked over to the door and threw it open only to find Edward standing on the other side with his hand posed to knock on the door.

"Good. Just the person I needed to talk to," Alice said, dragging him into the room. He shot me a look, and I mouthed an apology before nodding at Alice.

"Where are you taking Bella?"

"It's a surprise," he told her, grinning smugly when she frowned at him.

"Is it casual, fancy, or what?"

Edward thought about it for a moment. "Semi-fancy."

Alice rolled her eyes at him before opening the closet doors to contemplate what I owned that would be semi-fancy. I honestly didn't own many fancy clothes at all. I had a total of two dresses and one skirt in my possession. I was more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.

"Well, I just came to see if you wanted to chill for a while. Maybe watch a movie or something," he said to me, and I eagerly agreed.

We left Alice to contemplate the contents of my wardrobe, which was sadly lacking, and headed upstairs. Jasper was in their room, sitting on his bed reading a book, and he offered to give us some alone time.

"You can stay," Edward told him. "We're just going to watch a movie. If you don't want to stay, you can always help Alice look through Bella's closet?"

A look of horror washed over Jasper's face, and he decided to stay after all. As we watched _IT, _I realized I'd never watched so many movies before in my life. I swear that was all we did. We went to class, ate, slept, and watched movies. We led sort of sad lives, but at least we weren't out partying and getting drunk or high every night, so it could be worse.

* * *

><p><strong>an: Whoohoo! They've got a date coming up! Yay! As always, let me know your thoughts on the chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here's their date, so I'll let you all get to it! Big thanks for reading, reviewing, and favoriting. Huge thanks to Heather for her mad beta skills.**

* * *

><p>"Here," Alice said at five o'clock on Wednesday night. "Put this on."<p>

I took the dress she shoved my way and turned my back to her. I quickly stripped out of my jeans and sweater and put the dress on. It was a cute gray sweater dress, and I loved the way it felt against my skin.

"And these," Alice said, shoving a pair of black tights my way. I hated wearing tights, but it was January, and I didn't want to freeze to death on my first official date with Edward. I grumbled as I tugged the tights on and then turned to face Alice.

"Well?" I asked, holding my arms out.

"Gorgeous. Now, sit down, and let me fix your hair and makeup."

I knew better than to argue with her about hair and makeup, so I sat and suffered through the torture. I knew she'd make me look gorgeous, but I hated all the primping and plucking that went with it. She curled my hair and put a small amount of makeup on me and then deemed me ready for a date. Looking in the mirror, I couldn't help but agree with her. I looked good.

I slipped my feet into a pair of ankle high boots and put on the black peat coat that Alice was loaning me. A few minutes after I was dressed, there was a knock on the door, and butterflies erupted in my stomach. Alice flashed me a smile and gave me a wink as she opened the door. Edward stood on the other side, looking gorgeous in a pair of dark slacks and a navy blue sweater. In his hand was a beautiful sunflower which he handed to me as he came into the room.

"You look beautiful," he said, placing a kiss on my cheek, and I blushed bright red.

"Thank you," I told him. "You look pretty good yourself."

I took the flower from him, loving that he'd gotten me something different than a rose. Sure, roses were pretty and all, but I wasn't a rose kind of girl, and Edward knew it. Granted, I'd told him that sunflowers were my favorite flower one night when we'd been talking, and he'd obviously been listening. I loved that he remembered the little things I told him.

Alice took the sunflower and told me she'd put it in a vase for me. Then she snapped a picture of us before shooing us out the door as she told us to have a great time. I didn't think that would be a problem.

As we walked out to Edward's car, he took my hand in his, and I flashed him a smile. I was nervous, yet super excited. When we got to his Volvo, he held the door open for me, and I slid into the passenger seat, thanking him as he shut my door.

"So, where are we going?" I asked him as he pulled the car out of the parking lot.

"You'll see," he told me with a secretive smile.

I felt bad for hoping he wasn't taking me to a super expensive restaurant. I wasn't a fancy food person despite my supposed weird food issues.

We talked the whole way, and I smiled when we pulled into the parking lot of a Japanese restaurant. Edward parked the car and then came over to my side to let me out. Taking my hand, we walked into the restaurant where he gave our name to the hostess. We were seated at a large table with a few other diners that surrounded the hibachi grill. The waitress came by and took our drink orders and handed us each a menu.

"Do you trust me?" Edward asked, nodding toward the menu.

"Of course," I said.

Grinning, he ordered a double portion of hibachi steak which came with a shrimp appetizer, soup, salad, vegetables, steamed rice, and ice cream. I didn't even want to think about how much it was going to cost. Instead, I focused on the show the chef was beginning to perform in front of us. He sharpened his knives and utensils, tossed them in the air, and began to slice vegetables like a mad man. I watched in delight, fascinated by the presentation. I'd always wanted to go to one of these restaurants where they cooked in front of you.

Turning to Edward, I thanked him for bringing me there, and he gave my hand a squeeze.

"You bet. Not only is it cool, but the food is freaking amazing," he told me, and he was right.

"He's right, young lady," an elderly man who was sitting down the table from us said. "The food is amazing. My wife and I have been coming here for years."

"Albert!" the woman beside him hissed. "You can't just interject yourself into other people's conversations. We've talked about this."

I couldn't help but giggle as she scolded him, and he apologized with a sheepish look on his face. Edward and I both waved it off. They were so cute, and we ended up talking to them a little bit while we waited for our food to be done.

Not that much later, a ton of food was placed in front of us, and I didn't even care if I looked like a pig. I was hungry, and it all looked so good. Besides, Edward was eating just as much as I was. By the time the waitress brought dessert out, I wasn't sure I could eat another bite.

"Want some?" Edward asked, holding out a spoon filled with chocolate ice cream. I was helpless to resist. I took a bite, moaning as I did so. It was so freaking good.

By the time we were done, I was so full, that I didn't think I'd be able to walk. I was pretty sure Edward was going to have to roll me out to the parking lot.

"Like the oompa lumpas did to Violet?" he teased as he handed over his credit card to the waitress.

"Exactly."

As we left the restaurant, I hoped that our night wasn't over. I certainly didn't want it to be, and I hoped Edward didn't either. I wasn't sure what else we were going to do since it was after nine, and it was cold out, but Edward had an idea.

"Want to go ice skating?" he asked me after we were in the car.

"Um … I've never been ice skating before," I told him, and his mouth fell open in shock.

"Well, we'll have to fix that."

I was a bit nervous at the thought of ice skating. Something about zooming around on a thin blade on a slippery surface seemed like a recipe for disaster. And while I wasn't as clumsy as I used to be, I wasn't sure I was graceful enough to skate on ice. Hell, roller skating had been a disaster and had left me with a broken arm when I was ten. Not to mention the fact that I was wearing a dress. Sure, I had tights on underneath, but I so didn't want to flash my undies to the entire world.

Minutes later, we were pulling into the parking lot of an outdoor skating rink that was lit up. There were a few people out on the ice, but for the most part, it was empty. As I waited for Edward to open my door, something he insisted on doing, my nervousness grew.

"You won't let me fall, right?" I begged as we made our way to the skate rental hut.

"Of course not. You'll be safe with me. I promise," he said, taking one of my hands in his and kissing my palm. If I was the swooning type of girl, I totally would have swooned. Edward had to be the sweetest guy on the planet.

After we got our skates, we sat down on a bench near the frozen arena, and Edward helped me lace them up. I was a bit skeptical about ice skating, but Edward obviously wasn't.

"I played pee-wee hockey until I fell and broke my ankle pretty badly. I still enjoy ice skating, but I didn't play hockey after that. Okay, here we go. Hang on to me."

Oh, he didn't have to worry about that. I had a death grip on his hands. Very slowly, we made our way onto the man-made ice rink, and by that point, I was clutching Edward's hands so hard that my knuckles were turning white.

"Relax, Bella," Edward said, loosening my grip on his hands. "I promise I won't let you fall."

I took a deep breath and exhaled. I trusted Edward with every fiber of my being, and I knew he would catch me should I happen to fall. So, I did my best to relax as Edward began to skate backwards, pulling me with him. It took a while for me to find my balance, and there were more than a few close calls when my feet would slip out from underneath me, but true to his word, Edward never let me fall.

Music was blaring from speakers that surrounded the rink, and at one point, a slow song came on, and Edward pulled me closer and slowed our pace. It was romantic and sweet, and I felt myself falling a little harder for him.

We skated; well Edward skated, and I clung on to him for dear life for forty-five minutes before the cold became too much. We removed our skates, turned them in, and headed back to the car. A glance at the clock on the dash showed it was almost eleven. I didn't have a class until four, and then my night class began at six, so I didn't have anywhere to be. Edward, however, had three morning classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I knew he was a lot like Alice when it came to getting up early.

"Thank you so much," I told him as we drove back to campus. "I had an amazing time."

"Me too," he said, one hand reaching out to grasp my own. Deciding to take a page out of his book, I pressed my lips to the back of his hand, grinning when he shot a surprised smile my way.

Twenty minutes later, we were pulling into the school parking lot, and Edward placed the car in park. Turning to face me, he reached a hand out and cupped my cheek, his thumb gently stroking it. There was enough light from a nearby lamp to allow me to see his face, and I almost gasped at the intensity I saw on it.

"May I kiss you?" he asked softly, and all I could do was nod. There was nothing I wanted more than to feel Edward's lips on my own.

Still cupping my cheek, he leaned forward and gently placed his lips on mine, and I let out a sigh. It felt like I'd been waiting forever for him to kiss me. His lips were smooth and warm as they pressed against mine, and then I felt the tip of his tongue as he traced my lower lip before giving it a nibbling bite. I let out a gasp of surprise. I'd never been kissed like that before. Mike had kissed like a slobbering dog.

Edward broke away to give us a second to catch our breaths, and then he brought his lips to mine once again, and this time, I parted my lips, giving him complete access to my mouth. His tongue swept in gently rubbing against my own, and all kinds of amazing feelings swept through me. At some point during our kiss, my hands delved into his hair, and he let out a moan as I gently tugged on the strands. Growing bolder, I traced his lips with my tongue and attempted to kiss him the way he'd kissed me.

Before long, our breathing was labored, and his hair was a mess from my fingers constantly tugging and running through it. Slowly, reluctantly, we pulled apart only to lean in for one more kiss and nibble.

"Now that," Edward said, "was a great way to end the night."

I agreed, knowing that I probably looked a hot mess. Edward's hands had entangled themselves in my hair at one point just like I'd done to him, and I was sure my lips were swollen, but I wasn't complaining.

"Guess we should head inside, huh?" he asked as he turned the car off.

"Probably. You need to get to bed, and I have an inquisition to face," I told him with a grin, and he let out a snort.

"Oh, yeah. I have no doubt she's sitting up waiting for you so she can ask you about every detail of our date."

Unable to help myself, I leaned across the console and gave him one more quick kiss before letting him go. He climbed out, walked around the car, and opened my door for me. As he shut my door, he pressed a kiss to my lips.

"God, you're so addictive. Like my own personal brand of heroine, "he said softly, and I let out a laugh.

"Did you just compare me to heroine?" I asked, and he nodded with a sheepish grin. Laughing, I leaned into him.

"Thanks. Glad to know you can't get enough of me."

"Never," he swore, wrapping an arm around me as we headed up the path to the dorm. "I'm hoping you let me be your boyfriend and that you'll allow me to stick around for a while."

"I think I can do that," I told him, "although we're going to have to work on broadening your food horizons."

He threw his head back as he laughed, pulling me closer to his side. "I suppose we can work on that."

There were a few people in the commons area when we walked in, but none of them paid us any mind. I was half expecting Bree or one of Lauren's friends to be skulking about, but they weren't. Edward and I headed up the stairs, slowing our walk as we got closer to my floor. Being the gentleman that he was, Edward walked me to my door and stopped in front of it, pulling me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest. I so wasn't ready to say goodnight to him, but I knew I had to.

"I'll meet you for lunch tomorrow," he said, his face buried in my hair, and I hummed in agreement. "Okay. I've got to go get some sleep. Have sweet dreams."

"You too," I told him, standing on my tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. What I intended to be a quick kiss soon escalated to a full blown, tongue on tongue kiss, and it was only my room door opening that had us breaking apart.

"Smile," Alice said and snapped a picture of us. I was sure I looked like a deer in the headlights, and I groaned.

"Please delete that," I begged her, but she shook her head.

"Nope. It will complement the picture I took of you before you're date. Now, my roommie and I have some talking to do, and you, young man, need to get to bed."

"Yes, Mom," he teased before leaning down and placing a quick peck on my lips.

I sighed as I watched him walk away, and Alice had to snap her fingers in front of my face to get my attention. Smirking, she took me by the arm and dragged me into the room.

"Tell me everything!"

Letting out a laugh at her exuberance, I did just that. I told her all about dinner and about ice skating afterwards, and finally, I told her about the kisses. When I was done, she let out a sigh, proclaiming that her brother was quite the romantic, and that he obviously got it from her. I let out a laugh at that, but she insisted it was true.

"Well, I'm so happy that you had a great time! And judging from that hot kiss I witnessed, I think it's safe to say there will be more dates in the future."

"Definitely. Actually, he told me he'd like to be my boyfriend."

"And?"

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "I said maybe."

Alice's mouth dropped open as she stared at me, and I couldn't contain my laughter.

"Relax, Alice. I'm joking. Of course, I agreed."

She let out a whoop, punching her fists in the air, and you would think she was more thrilled than I was.

"You're so perfect for him," she said once she'd calmed down. "I've watched him date losers and money hungry whores for years. I'm just so happy that he's finally found someone so real and nice and who I happen to like."

"Well, I'm glad he found me to. As you know, Mike wasn't exactly the greatest boyfriend."

Alice and I ended up staying up way too late, talking all about her first date with Jasper and how happy she was that Edward and I were officially together.

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><p>We were on his bed, our kisses hot and passionate, and he pulled me close enough to him that I had to toss a leg over one of his to get comfortable, and I had to admit, I was thoroughly enjoying it. I could feel almost every inch of him, and he was definitely happy to see me, and that thought made me blush.<p>

"What's this?" Edward asked, pulling away from me and stroking my cheek which was on fire.

"Nothing," I said, ducking my head.

"Hey, now. You can tell me anything, you know that."

I know, it's just a bit embarrassing," I muttered, and I finally caved as he continued to stare at me. "I could feel you."

It took him a second to figure out what I was saying, and he let out a laugh, causing me to bury my face in his chest as I smacked him lightly.

"It's not funny. This is a new experience for me," I said in a muffled voice.

"Seriously?" he asked, pulling away a little to look down at me.

Sighing, I sat up and shoved my hair behind my ears. It took all my nerve to look at Edward as I explained why all of this was new to me.

"Mike never got, you know," I said, gesturing toward his crotch. "He'd smother me with sloppy kisses then shove me away and start yelling at me. Considering how demanding he was, I was surprised that he never once demanded sex."

"Maybe that was because he couldn't get it up," Edward suggested, and I nodded. That was probably true.

"And, he probably yelled at you because he needed someone to blame for his dysfunction."

"You're probably right," I told him before mentioning that I needed to leave. I had a class starting soon.

"I know," he mumbled against my lips.

Reluctantly, I pulled away from him, ignoring the pout on his face, and stood up. I quickly shoved my hair into a ponytail and turned to look at my beautiful boyfriend still lying on his bed.

"Want to walk me to class?"

"Yep, and I'll pick you up," he told me, finally getting up and shoving his feet into a pair of shoes.

It had become the norm for him to take me and pick me up from my night class since it was dark out. We'd been officially dating for five weeks now, and it had been a wonderful five weeks. There'd been multiple dates and more kisses than I could count. While there had been petting, even some heavy petting, between us, I still wasn't ready to take it to the next level. Fortunately, Edward was patient and understanding, but I knew it was only a matter of time before we made love.

We walked hand in hand into the building that housed my class, and Edward gave me a soft kiss on the lips and told me he'd see me at seven-thirty. I had classes from four-thirty to seven-thirty twice a week, and Edward or one of the other boys would take me and pick me up.

My first class let out early, so I had an extra fifteen minutes to spare before my last class of the night started. I wandered down to the first floor of the building where the vending machines were to grab a quick snack. I was digging through my backpack for change when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Immediately, I was on alert, and I scanned the surrounding area. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. There weren't a lot of people in the little break area, and the ones that were, didn't seem threatening. Shaking it off and telling myself I was overreacting, I still decided to forgo my snack and head back upstairs. I swore that eyes were watching me as I went back upstairs.

By the time seven-thirty rolled around, I'd convinced myself that I was just being paranoid, and that no one had been watching me. I mean, really? Why would they? So, when Edward came to pick me up, I didn't mention it to him.

"How were your classes?" he asked, linking his fingers with mine as we walked back to the dorm.

"Pretty good. I have a paper due in both classes in two weeks, so I'm afraid I'm going to be spending a lot of time working on them in the library."

"That's alright. We'll find time for each other. I'm not worried."

If I had been with Mike, he would have demanded that I spend time with him, but thankfully, Edward was nothing like Mike.

As we walked back, I felt the hairs on my neck rise again, and I couldn't ignore it. Stopping mid-stride, I turned around to look behind us.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, concern etched on his face.

"I've got an uneasy feeling," I admitted. "I felt it after my first class as well. I went to get a snack, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up just like they are now."

Edward frowned, his fingers tightening on mine as he scanned the area around us. There were students walking around, some hanging out talking, but no one who looked like a threat.

"Let's go," Edward said, tugging me along. As we continued on at a bit more hurried pace, I figured I should probably tell him about the uneasy feeling I'd had at the park. So, I told him about going to the park alone, which I'd done plenty of times before, and how I'd felt that same feeling.

"Promise me, you won't go to the park alone again. Take one of us with you from now on, please," Edward asked, and I told him I'd already promised Alice the same thing.

As had become tradition, Edward walked me to my door and gave me a kiss goodbye. Normally, he would hang out for a while, but he had a test to study for, and I had homework. Our goodnight kiss lasted a bit longer than intended, but it was so worth it. I loved Edward's kisses, and he certainly didn't seem to mind mine.

The following day, I had lunch with Edward and then headed to the library to get some research in for my papers. I found a small study cubicle in the back of the library on the third floor where it was nice and quiet. I hunted down the books I needed and then headed back to the desk where I'd left my bag. I dug around in my backpack until I found my pen, and then I opened up my notebook that I'd left lying on the desk. I flipped through it until I found a blank page, and then I began the tedious task of note taking.

Before I knew it, it was quarter to six, and I'd been at the library for close to five hours, but I'd gotten a lot done. I only needed a few more sources, and then I'd be ready to type up my paper. I stood up and stretched before gathering the books I'd be checking out. I closed my notebook, and as I went to put it away, a slip of paper fell out. Frowning, I bent down to pick it up. I wasn't one to shove random folded pieces of paper in my notebooks, but perhaps, Edward had put there. I opened it up and read the words, dropping it on the desk in horror seconds later.

_I'm watching you, Isabella._

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><p><strong>an: Dun, dun, dun. As always, let me know what you thought.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Howdy folks! I'd intended to get this posted yesterday, but my Internet refused to work. I'm thinking this story is going to around 20 chapters, maybe a couple more. So, we're getting there. Thank you all so much for your love. Big thank you to my beta, Heather, for her awesome beta skills and ideas.**

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><p>I stared at the note in horror, bile rising into my throat. The only person who ever called me Isabella had been Mike, but it couldn't be him. He was living in California now with relatives. Dad had promised me he'd keep informed of Mike's whereabouts. Pulling out my phone, I punched the button with Dad's name on it, praying that he'd pick up.<p>

"Hey, kiddo! This is a surprise. Is everything okay?" he asked, and I sat down on the chair and let out a shaky sigh.

"I found a note in my notebook that says _I'm watching you, Isabella_. That's not all, I've been having uneasy feelings all week," I told him, my hands shaking as much as my voice.

Immediately, Dad was on alert. He told me to hold on while he called a friend of his in California. I waited impatiently for him to get back to me.

"I just talked to Mike's parole officer," he told me a few minutes later. "He had a meeting with Mike a few hours ago, so I don't think it's him."

That didn't make me feel any better. As a matter of fact, it made me feel worse. If it had been Mike making me feel this way, then at least I would have known who it was.

"What about that Lauren girl?" Dad asked. I'd called my parents and let them know that Edward and I were dating, and I'd even told them about Lauren.

"I don't think it's her. She's more confrontational and in your face as are her friends."

"I don't want you going anywhere alone if you can help it. You also need to let your friends know about this note, and it wouldn't hurt to let campus security know as well."

I told him I'd call Edward or one of the boys to come get me and walk me over to the security office. Dad said there probably wasn't much they could do, but at least they'd have a record of it in case something else happened. I seriously hoped nothing else happened.

After hanging up with Dad, I gave Edward a call but got his voicemail. Hanging up, I dialed Emmett's number.

"What's up, Little B?" he boomed as he answered the phone.

"Hey, Em, I can't get ahold of Edward. Do you think you could come get me from the library?"

"Yeah, no prob. Give me a few minutes."

I finished packing up my stuff and then went down to the first floor to check out. Not long after I'd checked out, Emmett appeared and offered to carry my books for me.

"I've got it, thanks though," I told him. "Do you mind if we stop by the campus security office?"

"What's going on?" he asked in a serious voice.

I explained the uneasy feelings I'd had, which he knew about from Edward, and then I showed him the letter. I'd told him, Rose, and Jasper about Mike not long after I'd told Alice. Emmett had been furious and had wanted to hunt Mike down and beat his ass.

"Mike?" he asked, and I shook my head, explaining what my Dad had learned. Emmett was convinced that Mike was behind it somehow, and I had to admit, I'd been thinking along the same lines. He might have been in California, but his friends and family were still in Washington.

The walk to the security building was a long one, and I kept looking behind us to make sure no one was following us. I was becoming paranoid, and I hated it. Finally, we reached the building, and I asked to speak to a security officer. A few minutes later, I was explaining about Mike and my uneasy feelings, and I handed over the letter. The officer took down my information and pretty much told me what Dad had. I left there feeling like it had been a waste of time, and that the officer hadn't taken my concerns seriously.

"Stupid rent-a-cop," Emmett muttered as we left the building, and I murmured my agreement.

Heaving a sigh and tossing a giant arm around my shoulders, Emmett suggested we meet everyone for dinner down at the grill. I nodded in agreement and sent a quick text to Edward while Emmett sent out a text to the others. I frowned when I didn't get a text back from Edward after a few minutes.

"Have you heard from Edward?" I asked Emmett, extremely worried, especially since I received that note.

"No. I'll have Jasper check their room. Maybe he just fell asleep."

"Maybe," I said, hoping that was what had happened.

A few seconds later, Jasper texted Emmett back and said Edward was passed out cold on his bed, and I sighed with relief. For a moment there, I'd envisioned all sorts of horrible things having happened to him. Knowing that Edward had been super stressed about his test and upcoming paper, I was content to let him sleep, and I would bring him something from the grill to eat later.

Over dinner, I told the others about the note I'd found in my notebook, and they were just as weirded out and anxious about it as I was. Jasper and Emmett promised to take me wherever I needed to go if Edward wasn't around, and I thanked them. I really appreciated that they were willing to look out for me. It meant a lot.

After we finished, I went back up to the counter and ordered a bacon cheeseburger and fries for Edward as well as a large Dr. Pepper. How he could drink soda before bed and not have it affect him was beyond me. If I drank a soda before bed, I'd be up all night. Thanking the guy behind the counter, I took the bag of food and followed Jasper and Alice back to the dorm. They were going to study in our room while I went to wake Edward up and give him his food. I wasn't sure what kind of studying the two of them were going to be doing, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

Jasper insisted on walking me upstairs to his room, and I allowed him to do so, waving goodbye once he'd unlocked the door for me. I tiptoed into the room, shutting the door quietly and setting the food down on Jasper's desk. I made my way quietly over to Edward's bed where he was sprawled out on his back, dead to the world. I took a moment to just drink him in. He was so fucking beautiful, and I loved looking at him. His bronze hair was a wonderful mess, and his t-shirt had ridden up, giving me a glimpse of his stomach, and I barely held back a moan, looking at the light dusting of hair that resided right above his jeans. I had a feeling that happy trail definitely led to somewhere happy and impressive.

Sitting down beside him, I reached out and gently brushed a lock of hair off his head before leaning down and placing a light kiss on his lips.

"Edward," I called softly, running my hand up and down his arm. His eyelids flickered for a moment before he opened his eyes and stared at me in confusion.

"Hey," I said softly. "You slept through dinner, so I brought you something to eat."

He blinked his eyes a few times before yawning and stretching.

"I'm sorry, my sweet girl," he said, reaching over to stroke my cheek. "I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"It's okay," I told him, leaning into his hand. "I know you've been super tired lately. Although, I was a bit worried when I couldn't get ahold of you."

He frowned as he grabbed his phone from beside his bed and scrolled through his texts.

"Dammit!" he swore. "I am so sorry."

I leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips before telling him once more that it was fine. I gave him his food, grinning when he dug in like a starved man. I wiped a dab of ketchup off his chin as we talked, and I told him about the note that I'd found. Edward was incredibly upset, mainly with himself for not being there, but I shook my head. We didn't know when that note had been left for me, and there wasn't much we could do about it. I told him that I'd called my dad and how Emmett had walked me to the campus security office to report it.

Edward had set his food aside, and his head was hanging down like he was ashamed. I tilted his face up to meet my gaze, and his eyes were so sad.

"I feel like I let you down," he whispered.

"Oh, Edward. No. Of course, you didn't. How could you think that?" I asked, scooting closer to him and wrapping my arms around him. He laid his head on my shoulder, and I stroked a hand through his hair.

"It's my job to keep you safe and to protect you, and I let you down. Whoever this is was able to get to you."

"No one got to me. Not physically, and you do keep me safe. You walk me everywhere I need to go, you pick me up, you make sure I eat, and you make sure Alice doesn't drive me insane. You're the best boyfriend ever!"

"Well, I do keep you sane," he said softly, entwining one of my hands with his.

"Yes, you do," I insisted, leaning away from him so I could better look at him. "Now finish your dinner so we can cuddle a bit before I head to bed."

"Yes, Ma'am," he said with a mock salute, and he began to eat again.

Once he was finished, I took the container from him and threw it in the trash before climbing back onto his bed and into his arms. He pulled me close, burying his face in my hair for a moment, before leaning down and placing a sweet kiss on my lips.

"Thank you," he murmured, and I responded by telling him he was welcome. No more words were spoken after that for a while.

After a while, we stopped so we could catch our breaths, and Edward asked if I was okay. I was much better than okay.

"Well, I'm certainly enjoying what we've done so far, and I'm definitely open to the idea of exploring a bit," I said so quietly he had to lean in to hear me. My face was on fire, and I was embarrassed, but I knew honesty and talking was important in any relationship.

"Excellent," Edward said with a grin, pulling me back down on the bed with him. We resumed the position we'd been in before, and he grasped my thigh, hitching my leg higher over his.

My lips parted for his, and his tongue swept in, gently probing my own. Soon, we were breathing hard, and the hand that had been on my hip began to move up slowly. My breath hitched when he laid his hand on my stomach and slowly began to move it upwards. Feelings I'd only had when reading a sexy scene in a book erupted throughout my body, and I kissed him hungrily, letting him know I was okay with what he was doing.

It seemed as if he took his time, intent on driving me crazy, before his hand finally cupped my breast over my shirt. I wasn't overly endowed, but I had a nice handful if I may say so myself, and I fit perfectly in Edward's palm.

"This okay?" he asked against my lips, and I whispered yes as my fingers delved into his hair.

He moved around a bit so that he was propped up on one elbow, and his hand kept its place of purchase on my breast. Slowly, teasingly, he began to rub his palm on my erect nipple, and then he gently pinched it, and it caused a jolt to run through me. The moan I let out was a bit loud, but I honestly didn't care. I just wanted Edward to do it again. He pinched my nipple again before palming my whole breast and giving it a squeeze. God, I was on fire.

"Holy shit!" Jasper's voice said, and Edward let go of me, and I burrowed as close to him as I could.

"Can you give us a minute?" Edward asked in a strained voice, and seconds later, I heard the door shut.

"Sorry," Edward apologized as he placed a kiss to the top of my head. "I never even heard the door open."

"I didn't either," I told him as I rolled onto my back and stared up at him. "Then again, I was a bit preoccupied."

He let out a snort. "You and me both."

Knowing that Jasper was out in the hallway, we straightened ourselves up, and I did the best I could to smooth my hair down. Edward's hair, on the other hand, was a beautiful disaster. He tried to tame it, but it was of no use. I stood up from the bed and fixed my shirt as Edward opened up the door to allow Jasper in.

"Sorry, guys," he said, a sheepish smile on his face.

Edward waved off his apology, and I couldn't bring myself to look him in the face. He obviously knew how I felt because Edward and I had walked in on Jasper and Alice before. It was an embarrassing situation for everyone. Edward told Jasper he was going to walk me back to my room, and we headed out. We were both quiet as we walked down the stairs to my floor, and I hoped he wasn't regretting anything we'd done. I certainly wasn't. As we neared my door, Edward stopped and wrapped me up in a hug. I hugged him back hard and softly told him that I'd had a wonderful evening. He grinned down at me and said he had too. He bid me goodnight only after giving me a long, hard kiss, and I unlocked my door and walked into the room in a daze.

Alice was in her bed fast asleep, or so I thought. Once I'd changed and climbed in to bed, she scared the crap out of me by asking what exactly Jasper had walked in on. I should have known he would send her a text the second he got the chance to.

"Nothing," I told her. "We were just kissing that's all."

"Not buying it, Swan. If it was just kissing, Jasper wouldn't have freaked out."

"You do realize that Edward is your brother, right?" I asked.

"Yes, yes. I'm well aware of that fact. I'm not asking for all the little details of what the two of you were doing, but it was more than kissing, wasn't it?"

I let out a sigh, knowing she would bug me until I answered her. "His hand was on my chest," I blurted out, getting a small sense of satisfaction as she grimaced a bit.

"Huh. That's it? With the way Jasper was carrying on, I would have expected the two of you to be going at it all hot and heavy."

"I'm telling you that's all it was. We're taking things slow."

Satisfied that I was telling the truth, we said goodnight, and I was soon asleep. I had the most wonderful of dreams and woke up the next morning extremely glad that it was Saturday. I had two papers to work on, and Alice had a design for one of her fashion classes to work on, so once we'd gotten dressed, we cranked up the music and got to work. It was a pretty productive morning and before we knew it, Jasper and Edward were knocking on the door.

"You ladies hungry?" Jasper asked as they came in. Realizing that I was famished, I nodded and walked over to Edward for a hug. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a kiss on the lips.

"Let's get the two of you some food, and then you can come back and finish, okay?" Edward asked, and we both nodded. I need a break anyway, and I was sure Alice did as well.

We headed to the cafeteria and got our food before sitting down at what had once been our table. Three days a week though, Edward and I had our own private table in the corner, and I'd never loved having lunch more. The four of us talked and laughed over lunch, and when I inquired about Emmett and Rose, Jasper got a disgusted look on his face. That told us everything we didn't want to know.

"Lord knows they'd better be careful because I think Mom would throw a fit if suddenly there was a little Emmett on the way," Alice said.

"I'm pretty sure my dad would kill your brother if he knocked Rose up before they were married," Jasper commented.

"I think Rose would kill him first," Edward said with a grin.

"Yeah, she probably would," Jasper snickered. "She's got the wedding already planned, and she will kill whoever messes up her plans."

"I wasn't aware they were engaged," I said quietly, feeling a bit left out of the loop.

"Oh, they aren't. Not yet, but we all know it's going to happen," Alice told me. "Actually, Emmett's planning on asking her on her birthday next month, but you can't say anything. He wants it to be a surprise."

"How do you know this?" Edward asked her.

She gave him a smug smile. "I just do."

"Emmett asked her to help him buy a ring," Jasper told us, grinning when she squawked at him and smacked him on the shoulder.

Emmett and Rose were only a year older than I was, and yet, at twenty-one, they knew exactly what and who they wanted. I was amazed at how confident and how much in love they were. I always wanted a love like that, and I was hoping I'd find that with Edward. I wasn't ready to say I was in love with him just yet, but I was definitely in like with a bit of lust thrown in as well. I'd never felt this way before. Certainly not with Mike or with any other boy I'd had a crush on. Those had just been crushes, but what I felt for Edward was so much more.

After lunch, I was a bit reluctant to go back to working on my paper, so I asked Edward if he wanted to go for a walk. He eagerly agreed. It was freezing outside, but I was warm enough cuddled up next to Edward. We just walked around the campus hand in hand, talking about everything from school to Emmett and Rosalie.

"They want to get married as soon as they graduate," Edward was saying, and I couldn't imagine getting married so young.

"Wow. I kind of can't imagine getting married so young," I said as we walked, and snow was beginning to fall.

"Didn't your parents marry young?"

I nodded. "Right after high school, and they got pregnant with me almost right away, but that didn't stop them from going to college"

"Despite their divorce when you were a kid, they have a pretty strong marriage now, right?"

"Yeah, they do," I commented.

"See? Young marriage does work for some people. My parents didn't get married until Mom was twenty-eight and Dad was twenty-six, but I still consider that young. Are you wanting to wait until you're in your thirties?"

It seemed such a strange conversation to have, especially since we were nowhere near getting married, assuming we fell in love, and that's what we wanted.

"I don't know. I haven't actually given it a whole lot of thought to tell you the truth."

"Really?" he asked, surprise on his face. "Alice has been planning her wedding since she was in kindergarten."

I let out a snort. "That doesn't surprise me in the least. She probably has a binder full of ideas. I didn't spend much time dreaming of weddings and playing with dolls. I was more of a bookworm who spent my weekends fishing with my dad."

"Huh. So do you want a huge wedding or something smaller?"

"I want a small, simple wedding. No mess, no fuss. That much I know. Why all the questions?"

He shrugged, flashing me a smile. "Just curious."

"What about you? What's your ideal wedding?" asking him because it only seemed fair that I got to learn what he wanted.

"Same as you. Small and simple. I think I'd like an outdoor wedding in a meadow or something, and I prefer to not have to wear a tux."

"Yeah, well this girl sure as hell isn't going to be wearing some monstrosity of a gown," I said with a shudder.

As we made our way back toward the main campus, the wind really picked up, and I couldn't hold back a shiver. Even tucked against Edward, I was beginning to freeze, and he noticed.

"Let's get you back to your room. You need to finish your paper so you can come play with me," he said with a wink, and I giggled at him.

"Oh, it's my turn to play, huh? Well, that's certainly an incentive to get my papers done," I smirked, shooting my own wink his way, and I laughed when his jaw dropped.

"You're a minx, Bella Swan," he said before whirling me around so I was facing him and placing a fierce kiss on my lips. I moaned against his lips when I felt him nibble on my lower lip before his tongue dueled with mine. I totally forgot that we were outside, and that it was freezing. All that mattered was Edward, and the kisses he was bestowing upon me.

"Get a room!" someone yelled, and Edward pulled away muttering that that was a good idea. I hit his arm gently and told him he'd have to wait until my papers were done.

"I know," he said, placing a light kiss to the tip of my nose.

We parted ways at my door, and I sighed as he walked away. He had an amazing ass, and I loved to watch it as he moved.

"Are you going to stand there and ogle my brother's ass all evening, or are you going to get some work done?" Alice asked from the doorway, and I blushed as she busted me.

"Well…" I began, and she let out a laugh as she dragged me into the room.

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><p><strong>an: Well, you got a bit of drama and some fluff. As always, let me know what you thought.  
><strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Man, FF is pissing me off. I've been trying to upload this since 5am. Anyway, thank you all so much for the reviews! I appreciate each and everyone of them. Huge thanks to Heather for beta'ing. **

**Oh, yeah, this chapter has a lemon.**

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><p>By nine, I was done with one of my papers, and I'd gotten the second one about seventy percent done, so I figured that was good enough. I was craving Edward, and it almost scared me how much I wanted to be with him. Alice had finished her project as well, and she wanted to spend some time with Jasper, so she went up to their room, telling me she'd send Edward down. As soon as she left, I ran my brush quickly through my hair and made sure I didn't look too horrendous. Before Edward came into my life, I never spent much time caring what I looked like. Not that I walked around looking like a hobo or anything, but I just never worried what I looked like. Now, I was more conscious of how I dressed.<p>

There was a knock on the door, and I beamed when I opened it and let Edward in. The second I closed the door, Edward had me pushed up against it, his mouth on mine. You would have thought we hadn't seen each other in weeks as opposed to hours. My fingers were in his hair as his hands gripped my hips tightly, and I could feel how hard he was. That only made me want him more, and I tugged on the strands of hair between my fingers as my tongue dueled with his for dominance.

We kissed fiercely, nipped at lips, and slid tongues against one another until we finally needed to breathe. Slowly, we broke apart, and I couldn't help but smile at him as I leaned in for one more kiss. Of course, that kiss led to more kisses, and eventually, we managed to make it to my bed where I collapsed on it, and Edward covered my body with his. Lying in this position, I could feel every inch of him, especially his hardness which was pressed right up against my apex and sent all sorts of tingles through my body.

"Is this okay?" Edward asked, rising up a bit on his elbows so he wasn't pressed right up against me.

"Yes," I said, reaching up and tugging him back to where he'd been. I loved the way he felt against me, and I wasn't worried that we'd take things too far.

He lowered himself back down before kissing me, and I got lost in his kisses again. At some point during our make out session, he rolled onto his side, and I groaned at the loss of him. However, he propped himself up on an elbow and brought a hand to my stomach. It seemed as if we were going to pick up where we'd left off the night Jasper had interrupted us, and I was perfectly okay with that.

Resuming his kisses, his hand found its way to my breast where he cupped it gently before palming and squeezing it. I wanted more, but I wasn't sure how to tell Edward, so I grasped his wrist gently and lowered his hand to the bottom of my shirt and slipped it under. He got the hint and began to run his hand over my bare stomach. His hand was wonderfully warm, and I reveled in the way it felt against my skin.

"So smooth," Edward murmured against my lips before his hand trailed slowly up toward my bra. When he reached it, he gently traced the edge of the satin, and I was glad that I was wearing one of my nicer bras. Once again, his hand covered my breast, but it felt so much more intense this time, knowing there was nothing but a thin piece of satin fabric separating his hand from my bare breast.

"Can I take this off?" he asked a while, tugging lightly on my shirt, and I nodded. I sat up as he slowly tugged my shirt over my head, and automatically, my hands went to cover myself. No one, with the exception of my mom, had seen me in just my bra. I ducked my head, my hair covering my face, and I waited for Edward to say something. Gently, he tucked a finger under my chin and lifted my head.

"You're beautiful, my sweet girl," he whispered, and I felt myself blush even more. Very gently, Edward took my crossed wrists and loosened them until my hands fell to my side. There was no way I could meet his gaze. I was so terrified he was going to find me lacking, but I was wrong.

"Stunning," he murmured. "Absolutely stunning. Please don't be embarrassed. It's just me."

I nodded my head and forced myself to look him in the eye, and the reverence I saw there had me gasping. He truly did like what he was seeing. He trailed both of his hands up and down my arms until he traced the straps of my bra. I knew what was going to happen next. He would ask if he could remove my bra, and I was going to tell him yes. I was okay with that, so I decided to save him from asking me. I reached behind me and began to unhook it, but Edward's hand stopped me.

"You don't have to do that if you're not ready," he told me softly. I met his gaze this time and told him I was ready. I wanted this first with him, and when I told him that, his eyes softened before he leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. My shaking hands and trembling fingers slowed me down a little before the clasp finally gave away, and my bra loosened. Taking a deep breath and keeping my eyes on Edward's, I let the straps fall down my shoulders. Edward reached out and tugged the straps the rest of the way down and tossed my bra to the side. His eyes had been on mine the whole time, but now, they slowly slid down until he was staring at my naked chest.

"God, Bella. You're so fucking beautiful," he told me, and I wanted to believe him so badly.

Slowly, he reached out to touch me, and I gasped at the sensation of his hands on my bare skin. He gently stroked each breast before finally cupping them fully in his hands and rubbing his thumbs over my nipples. Another gasp escaped me at the amazing feelings he was invoking.

His lips lowered back to mine and, we kissed while he gently became acquainted with my breasts, and eventually, I found myself on my back while he was on his side. His lips left mine, and he began to place kisses along the column of my neck and around my collarbone, and I knew where he was heading. I was still nervous, but oh so very excited at the idea of feeling his lips against my breasts. I didn't have to wait long.

After making sure I was okay with what he was doing, he placed his lips on top of my right breast and gave it a small kiss before repeating his actions on the left. My fingers found purchase in his hair, and I watched as his head moved closer, and he finally placed a light kiss on my nipple. My head fell back, and my gasp quickly turned into a moan as his lips wrapped around the puckered peak and sucked gently. I'd never felt anything like it before, and I was overwhelmed by the emotions running through me.

My fingers tightened in his hair as he continued to suck and nip on me before switching to my other breast. When he did that, he positioned his body over mine a bit more, and I could feel how hard he was, and it felt wonderful to know that I caused that effect on him.

He sucked a bit harder, and my hips bucked up pressing into the thigh he'd moved between my legs. I was hornier than I'd ever been, and I wanted nothing more than to press myself up against his thigh and take care of myself, but I couldn't. I wasn't sure I was quite ready to take that step and have him see me getting myself off. I figured I'd have to take care of myself later.

Knowing that if he kept up what he was doing, I was going to explode, so I gently pushed on his chest until he was lying on his back. Kneeling beside him, I ran my hands over his clothed chest and decided it was only fair that I see him. I began to tug his shirt up, and he sat up to help me. Once I'd tossed his shirt on the floor, I took a moment to soak him in. He was gorgeous. Edward obviously worked out, but not so much that he was bulky. He was lean with a well-sculpted chest, and I found myself unable to resist touching him. I traced a finger down the center of his chest to his belly button and back up again. Then, I placed both hands on his chest and left them there for a moment, taking in the feel of how firm he was

I leaned down and placed a kiss right above his heart, and his hands came up and tangled themselves in my hair. I briefly wondered if he'd enjoy his nipples being kissed, nipped, and sucked like I had, and then I decided to just find out. I moved my hands over his pecs before leaning further over him, and we both moaned when my breasts made contact with his bare chest. I pressed my lips down once more above his heart before moving them lower to his right nipple. Teasingly, I twirled my tongue around it, and the hands in my hair tightened as he let out a low groan. Smiling to myself, I gently bit him before lightly sucking on him, and I was pleased to see him react so strongly. It seemed that Edward certainly enjoyed what I was doing to him because one minute I was beside him, and the next, he'd hauled me on top of him so I was straddling his waist. With gentle hands, he tugged me away from his chest and brought my lips to his where our kisses could have ignited a fire.

As we kissed, his hands gripped my hips and pulled me closer, and I moaned when his hardness rubbed against my sweet spot. He froze for a moment before doing it again, and I was quickly lost to the sensations. It didn't take long before I was moaning against his mouth, and then his name was ripped from my lips as I my orgasm washed over me. Edward was quickly behind me, calling out my name as he came. As we waited for our breathing to return to normal, embarrassment washed over me, and I buried my face in his chest.

Edward's hand stroked my hair before asking me to look at him. I did, and I knew my face was extremely red.

"Please don't be embarrassed," he whispered, stroking a finger down my cheek. "That was amazing, and I loved every minute of it."

"I've never done that before," I told him softly. "I mean I've never, you know … had an orgasm with another person."

"I love that I'm sharing these firsts with you," Edward said, placing a gentle kiss on my lips.

We cuddled for a few more minutes before Edward told me he needed to clean up. I climbed off him, donning my bra and t-shirt, and he dashed into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later with a pair of wadded up boxers. He gave me a sheepish grin as he told me they'd become uncomfortable to wear.

"You can't just walk up to your room with your boxers in your hands," I said with a grin. "Can you imagine what Jasper would say?"

Edward let out a snort. "Yeah, I can just imagine what he'd say, and heaven forbid that Emmett find out."

Shuddering at the thought of Emmett finding out about the activities that Edward and I had gotten up to, I grabbed my laundry basket out of the closet and told him to toss them in there.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's no big deal. I have to do laundry later this week anyway," I told him, acting like it was no big deal that I was going to wash his boxers, but to me, it was a big deal. This whole night had been a big step in our relationship.

After he tossed his boxers in the basket, I excused myself to hit up the bathroom and clean up a bit myself. As I washed my hands, I took a good look at myself in the bathroom mirror, and I looked like someone who had been thoroughly pleased. My hair was mussed, my lips were swollen, and there was a rosy hue to my cheeks. Not to mention that my eyes were bright and had almost a wild look to them. I did my best to smooth my hair down and splashed some water on my cheeks before drying them off and heading back to my room.

Edward was lying on my bed with his eyes closed and his arms crossed behind his head. He looked incredibly peaceful, and I could just stand there and stare at him all day. However, my stomach let out a fierce growl, and Edward cracked open an eye.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah, I've worked up a bit of an appetite."

"Huh. I can't imagine why that is," he said with a grin, standing up and stretching, giving me a glimpse of those wonderful abs.

I rolled my eyes at him and asked what he wanted to eat. He shrugged, so I suggested ordering in. I wasn't ready to leave our little bubble of privacy, and I was positive the world would be able to see what we'd done.

Forty minutes later, we were eating subs and watching TV. Once we were done eating, he pulled me against him, my back pressed against his chest as we watched some crime show. His hands were constantly busy, playing with my hair or the hem of my shirt, his fingers running up and down my thighs. The man was driving me insane, and he knew it. Finally, I turned around so I was straddling him and placed one hell of a kiss on his lips.

"Behave," I growled as I nipped his lower lip.

"No," he growled back as he pressed a hard kiss to my lips and flipped us over so that he was hovering over me. His hands began to wander yet again, and he gave my breasts a gentle squeeze before he lowered his head and nipped at my hardened peaks.

"Edward," I moaned as he continued his assault. It was like we couldn't get enough of each other now that we knew how explosive we could be.

"Want me to stop?" he asked, and I shook my head.

Sadly, our time was interrupted by a knocking on the door and Alice's voice on the other side. With a sad moan, Edward rolled off of me and buried his face in my pillow as I got up to let Alice in. I knew she'd know what we'd been up to because my shirt was crooked, and my hair was a mess.

She eyed me and then Edward as she entered the room before handing me an envelope.

"This was taped to the door," she told me, and I took it from her, noticing my name had been printed on it, but there was nothing else. A feeling of unease settled over me, and I glanced over at Edward. He looked just as worried as I did.

I didn't want to open it. I just knew it was going to be something bad. Things had been going so well, and I'd managed to put the note that had been left for me out of my mind. Sitting down on the edge of my bed, Edward scooted closer and wrapped his arms around me while Alice sat down next to us. With trembling fingers, I slid open the flap and pulled out a picture. Slowly, I turned it over, and we all let out a gasp. There was a picture of Edward and I, holding hands and laughing, and the word _whore_ was scrawled across it. I dropped it like it was on fire and stared down at it as it rested on the floor. There was no doubt in my mind that Mike was behind this picture. He'd been insanely jealous when we'd been together and had often accused me of cheating on him.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God!" Alice whispered over and over, her face pale and her eyes wide.

I looked over my shoulder at Edward, and he looked just as scared and as worried as I felt. I told myself not to panic, but it was hard when it was welling up inside me. Getting up, I grabbed my phone from desk and called my dad.

"It's kinda late to be calling, kiddo. I'm an old man who needs his beauty sleep," Dad joked when he answered, and I heard Mom tell him that was the truth.

I interrupted them and told Dad about the photograph that I'd received. He let out a string of swearwords that I would have found quite impressive at some other time. He told me to take the photograph as well as the letter to a Detective Masen at the Seattle Police Department.

"We went to the academy together in Phoenix. I'll call him in the morning and let him know you're going to visit him. You also need to alert campus security."

"Yeah, because they took me so seriously before," I commented dryly.

"If they don't take this seriously, I'll be coming up there and having a talk with them. And Bells? Please don't go anywhere without your pepper spray."

I promised him I wouldn't, and I felt a bit better after I hung up. Turning to Edward, I asked him if he'd go with me to police station.

"Of course," he said, pressing a kiss to the side of my head.

The three of us were shaken up a bit, and when it was time to head to bed, I wasn't ready to let Edward go. It seemed he thought the same about me. I went to ask him to stay at the same time he asked if I minded if he stayed.

"I'll be right back," he told me. "I'm gonna go get my pajamas."

"Just sleep in your boxers," Alice commented. "It's not like I haven't seen you walking around in them before."

Maybe she had, but I certainly hadn't. However, Edward's boxers were currently in my laundry basket, so he told me he'd be right back. Despite the seriousness of everything going on, I sure wasn't about to say no to seeing my boyfriend in only his boxers. Grabbing my pajama pants and tank top, I went to the bathroom to change clothes and found myself pondering whether to keep my bra on or not. Finally, I decided to forgo it. Sleeping in a bra wasn't comfortable, and I liked to be comfortable when I was sleeping.

I walked back into the room and found Edward sitting on the side of my bed in nothing but green boxers and a t-shirt. Alice gave a wink as she passed by me to go to the bathroom, and then I found myself alone with Edward. I was kind of surprised she didn't offer to go to Jasper and Edward's room, but … maybe she felt she needed to stay near me after I'd received that picture.

"Um … do you want the right or the left side?" I asked him, fidgeting a bit.

"Doesn't matter," he told me with a smile. "The bed's small, so we'll probably end up wrapped around each other anyway."

I was certainly okay with that. I climbed into the bed, and Edward climbed in after me a few seconds later. It felt odd to have someone else in my bed, but I quickly adjusted. Edward pulled me into his side, and I threw a leg over his and wrapped my arm around his waist.

"Everything's going to be okay," he whispered before placing a gentle kiss on my lips. I nodded my head, doing my best to believe him.

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><p>I woke up around seven, and I wasn't able to fall back asleep, so I spent some time just staring at Edward. He was so beautiful, and sometimes, I could hardly believe that he was mine. Eventually, the need to pee had me contemplating on how best to get out of bed and not wake him up. Quietly, I attempted to crawl over him and let out a squeal when hands wrapped around my waist.<p>

"Where you going?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"I gotta pee," I told him, grinning when his hands let go of me rather quickly. "I'm going to take a shower as well."

By the time I was done in the bathroom, Edward was up and getting ready to go to his room for a quick shower.

"I'll be back in about ten minutes," he promised, placing a gentle kiss on my lips.

While Edward was gone, I quietly moved about the room, gathering up the letter and photograph, and then I began to pace, waiting for Edward's return. Sure enough, ten minutes later he knocked on my door. Grabbing my purse and keys, we headed out to the parking lot. The drive to the Seattle Police Department was quiet until my phone rang, startling me. I answered it when I saw it was my dad, and I informed him Edward and I were on the way to the police station.

"Good. I talked to Tony this morning and told him you were coming in. He knows about what happened with Mike, and he's got Mike's parole officer's number in case he needs it."

"Thanks, Dad."

I told him I had to go as Edward pulled into the station's parking lot, and I clasped Edward's hand the second we were out of the car. We walked into the large building, and I asked the woman behind the main desk for Detective Masen. A few minutes later, Edward and I were greeted by a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes.

"You must be Bella," the man said, holding out a hand. I shook it before introducing Edward to the detective.

"Follow me," Detective Masen said, and we followed him to a messy desk in the corner of the room. I took a seat in the chair beside the desk while Edward stood behind me, his hands on the back of the chair.

"Charlie gave me the background info on this Newton kid, and the history of what happened between you. I know he was locked up, but Charlie said that recent events have him worried. Can you tell me what has you both so concerned?"

I began to speak, and I told Detective Masen about the note and the photograph, and all about the weird feelings I'd had and how I felt I was being followed. I reached into my purse and pulled out the note and photograph and handed them over. I didn't want them in my possession, and I figured the police would want to put them in their file as evidence.

"Do you think this Mike Newton is behind this?" he asked me, and I nodded.

"I don't know who else it would be, sir. I know that Mike is supposedly living in California with family, but he's got family and friends in Forks and Port Angeles that weren't too happy with me after he was arrested and tried. It's not like I have a ton of enemies or anything."

"What about Edward's ex-girlfriend? Your dad mentioned that she wasn't too happy with the way things ended. Could she have left these?"

Edward and I looked at each and then shook our heads. Sure, Lauren was a grade A bitch, but she wouldn't resort to this. At least, I didn't think she would, and I told that to the detective, and Edward agreed with me.

"Lauren's a bitch, there's no doubt about that," he told Detective Masen, "but she's not one to leave notes. She's all about the drama and confrontation in a public setting so she can play the injured party."

We were at the station for over an hour, and by the time we left, a file had been opened, and Detective Masen let me know that he'd call campus security and fax over a copy of the file so that they'd have it on record. We thanked him before we left the building, and I looked at the clock on my phone, seeing that it was a little after nine. We'd both missed our first classes of the day, but this had been far more important.

"I guess we should head back," Edward said, my hand tucked firmly in his.

"Yeah, I guess we should," I said, not really wanting to because I knew I wouldn't be able to focus in class.

"Or we could say screw it and just skip all of our classes today," he suggested.

"We could, but we shouldn't."

Edward waited patiently as I tried to make up my mind. The truth was that I really didn't want to go to class, but I felt guilty when I didn't go. Not that I skipped often.

"Oh, fuck it," I said, laughing when Edward's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"I don't think I've ever heard you say fuck before," he told me. "It's kind of hot."

I rolled my eyes at his silliness. Once we were back in his car, we decided to go out for breakfast. On the way to IHOP, our usual breakfast spot, I called my dad to let him know what had gone on. After hanging up with him, I sent Alice a text and let her know that things had gone fine at the police station, and that Edward and I were playing hooky for the day. I got a text back a few minutes later, telling us to have a good time.

Edward and I did our best to not think about the fact that someone might be watching our every move, but it was hard. Detective Masen had told us to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious, and I had to admit, I was a bit paranoid.

After breakfast, we decided to head back to Edward's room and just hang out. Edward texted Jasper to let him know that we just wanted some alone time, but that we'd meet everyone for dinner. I felt bad that Jasper was basically being kicked out of his room, but he texted back, saying he understood, and it was all good.

Once in Edward's room, we curled up on his bed, and I vaguely paid attention to the movie that was playing. I was busy thinking about how the letter and photograph, and how someone had gotten into the dorm. The dorm was locked, and you had to use your key card to get in, but then again, people could easily slip inside behind someone else. It made me scared to think that Mike could be lurking behind every corner or in every shadow. I didn't want to live my life in fear, and I knew first hand just how dangerous Mike could be. It terrified me to know that Mike had gotten so close to us, and we hadn't even known it.

"You okay?" Edward asked softly, interrupting my thoughts.

"Not really," I replied honestly. "I'm scared, and I hate that I'm scared. I don't want to live in fear. I want to go to class or out on dates with you and not have to worry that someone is watching us."

Edward pulled me tighter to him and gave me a gentle kiss.

"Me too, love. We have to trust that the police and campus security are doing what they can. Your dad as well as Detective Masen are in touch with Mike's parole officer, and you know they'll let us know if he's left the state."

"It's him," I whispered. "I just know it is. He's incredibly violent, and I would hate it if anything happened to you."

"Nothing is going to happen to me, and nothing is going to happen to you. I will keep you safe. We all will," he vowed.

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><p><strong>an: Thanks for reading! Leave me your thoughts!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry for the delay folks, but thank you for your patience. I want to thank you all for your reviews last chapter. I appreciate them and love getting that email alert letting me know someone reviewed. This chapter comes with a lemon, so you've been warned. **

**Huge thanks to my beta, Heather, for being so awesome!**

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><p>It had been a few weeks since I'd received the note that had scared the hell out of me, and I didn't know anything more. Detective Masen had called me a few days after I'd met with him to let me know that he'd gone to visit Mr. and Mrs. Newton and questioned them about Mike's whereabouts. His parents had claimed he was still in California and that Mike had nothing to do with that "<em>nasty girl that had ruined their son's life." <em> I wasn't sure I believed them, and neither did Detective Masen. He told me he was going to go down to California and have a little chat with Mike and his parole officer in the upcoming week. I was definitely interested in hearing how that went.

In the meantime, school life had returned to normal. Sort of. One, two, or all three of the boys walked me everywhere, and if for some reason none of them were available, Jake or Sam would walk me. They'd seen Edward and me leaving the campus security office and had asked if everything was okay. I'd told them about everything that was going on, and they both promised to do what they could to help out. I was extremely grateful to have such awesome friends who cared and who were looking out for me. At the same time though, I was terrified something would happen to one of them, especially Edward. If anything were to happen to him, I would be devastated. He meant the world to me, and I was starting to admit to myself that I was in love with him.

We were currently walking back from my night class in a slightly hurried pace because being out at night after everything that had happened had me extremely paranoid. I swore every shadow or every noise was Mike lurking nearby.

"Do you want to get away this weekend?" Edward asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts as we made our way up to my room.

"This weekend?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's Valentine's, and I thought we could use a few days away from this place."

I'd totally forgotten Valentine's Day was coming up. I'd never had reason to remember it before, and now, I felt slightly bad that I'd not even realized it was so close.

"That would be great, but where would we go?" I asked him.

His cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, and he rubbed his hand against the back of his neck before answering.

"Well … uh, my folks are out of town for the week, and I thought, perhaps, we could just hang out at my house. It wouldn't be much of a getaway, but it wouldn't be here either."

"I'd like that," I told him, leaning up on tiptoe to place a kiss against his lips. I had to admit, the idea of getting away from campus for a while was a wonderful one although the idea of being alone with Edward at his house made me slightly nervous, but not in a bad way.

"Excellent," he murmured against my lips, pulling me closer and deepening our kiss. We stayed like that for quite some time, sharing heated kisses in the hallway until we both needed to breathe.

"I suppose I should let you get to bed," he said quietly, his fingers running through my hair.

I shrugged in response, not quite ready to let him go. Unlocking my door, I tugged him in once I noticed Alice wasn't there. Grinning, I left a note for Alice on the dry erase board next to the door before closing it, and then, I made my way back to Edward. He was standing next to my bed, a slight smirk on his face, and I let out a sigh at how gorgeous he was. Gently, I pushed him until he fell back on my bed, and he tossed me another smirk when my eyes were drawn to the shirt that had ridden up, exposing his abs.

"Come here," he said, his voice dropping an octave and becoming husky. A shiver ran through me at his words, and within seconds, I was straddling him, moaning as our bodies met.

His lips met mine in a rough kiss that had me plunging my hands into his hair and yanking gently on the silky strands. He'd told me he loved it when I did that, and I was more than happy to oblige. As our tongues met, his hands glided down my back to the hem of my shirt where he lightly tugged on it and began to slide it upwards. Breaking away from his kiss, I yanked my shirt off, tossing in on the floor with my bra soon following. His hands reached up and cupped my breasts, squeezing them lightly, before running his thumbs over my hardened nipples. My head fell back as a long moan escaped me.

I loved the way his hands felt on my body, and it only made me want him more. While his hands were busy playing me like an instrument, I slid my hands under his shirt and lightly scraped my fingernails along his abs.

"Jesus, that feels good," he groaned, and I smiled, pleased that he was enjoying what I did to him.

Leaning down, I placed a gentle kiss on his chest before slowly dragging my tongue up toward his neck. His hips bucked upwards, causing us both to groan, and before I knew it, he'd rolled us over and was hovering over me.

One of his hands traced my collarbone before slowly moving down my torso toward my jeans where it fiddled with the button. I knew what he was going to ask before he asked it, so I nodded my head in response to his unasked question. My heart sped up, and I felt more than a little nervous, but I knew I had nothing to be scared of. Edward would never hurt me or do anything to make me uncomfortable, and I knew if I asked him to stop, he would.

Slowly, he slipped the button out of its' hole and then began to lower the zipper. Once my jeans were undone, he began to tug them off, and I lifted my hips to help him out. Moments later, my jeans were on the floor, and I was lying before Edward in nothing but my underwear. I was absurdly grateful that I was wearing a pretty purple pair and not one of my boring pairs.

"Gorgeous," he muttered as he ran his hand up one of my legs, and I prayed that they weren't all stubbly. I'd shaved a couple days earlier, and I really didn't want to put Edward off by having hairy legs.

"Is this okay?" he asked, pulling me out of my thoughts as his hand moved higher up my leg toward the edge of my lace panties.

"Yes," I said although it came out as a whisper.

Smiling, he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my thigh, causing my breath to hitch. I watched, fascinated, as his hand moved closer to the leg of my panties, and he traced the edge with a fingertip. Teasingly, his fingers danced across my pelvis before he stopped and cupped my sex with his hand.

I couldn't contain the moan that left my lips at the feeling of him touching me so intimately, but when his fingers began to move, I lost all control. He was touching me just right, rubbing the pad of his fingers over my nub, and it didn't take long before my orgasm came crashing down on me.

As I came down from my high, his hand left me, and I let out a groan at the loss of it.

"I take it you liked that?" he asked with a cute smirk as he placed a kiss on my lips. I grasped the back of his head and pulled him down for a fiercely passionate kiss in response to his question.

As we kissed, I decided I wanted to make him feel as good as he'd made me feel. I slid my hands down his back and grabbed his butt, giggling a little as he let out a moan and rocked against me.

"Can I make you feel good?" I asked him after our lips parted.

"You don't have—", he began, but I cut him off by pressing my lips to his.

"I want to."

He nodded before rolling onto his back, and I took a moment to take in the gorgeous specimen before me. Running my hands down his chest to his jeans, I reached his fly, and with shaking hands, I gotten the button undone before unzipping him. He helped me tug his jeans off, and then, he was left lying in front of me in a pair of black silk boxers that were sporting a tent. Gently, and a bit nervously, I traced his cloth-covered erection.

His hips bucked as he let out a low moan before asking me to take off his boxers. How could I say no to that request? I slid his boxers off, and I gasped as I saw him for the first time. His penis, ugh… I hated that word, wasn't exactly beautiful, but it wasn't ugly either. He looked large to me, but then again, I'd only seen a couple pictures of penises on the Internet. Nervously, I cupped him, gasping at the heaviness of him, and I was amazed at how turned on I was getting just holding him. Unsure of what to do, I thought back to the many erotic romance novels I'd read and tried to recall what the women had done.

Seeing that I was unsure of what to do next, Edward reached down and wrapped my hand more firmly around his shaft and told me to do what felt natural. None of what I was doing felt natural to me, but I desperately wanted to make him feel good, so I asked him what he did to make himself feel good. He told me to stroke him, pump my hand up and down, and maybe add a twist or two. I did as he'd suggested, gripping him tighter when he asked me to, and I found myself glancing up at him to see if he was enjoying what I was doing. It seemed like he was. His eyes were closed, his hands clenched in fists at his side, and his breathing was speeding up.

I doubled my efforts and was rewarded when Edward moaned out my name and told me to go faster. I did as he asked, stroking my hand over him faster, and moments later, he was warning me that he was about to come. I felt him tense up, and I watched, fascinated, as he came. He collapsed back on the bed, a smile on his face, and I was a bit smug that I'd done that to him.

"Uh … do you have a towel or something I can clean up with?" Edward asked a few moments later. Getting up, I grabbed a clean washcloth and handed it to him.

Once he was cleaned up and had tossed the washcloth in my laundry basket, he lay back on the bed, still completely naked and seemingly at ease with it.

"Thank you, love," he murmured, pulling me down next to him. I curled into his side, resting my head on his chest as his arm wrapped around me. I jolted a bit at the feeling of my bare breasts against his naked chest, but I soon relaxed and found myself falling asleep in his arms.

A knocking on the door a while later, woke us both up. Scrambling, we quickly donned our clothes, and I smoothed my hair down as I opened the door to let Alice in. She shot us both an "I know what you've being doing" look but thankfully didn't say anything about it. Edward gave me a quick, yet steamy, kiss before telling us goodnight and went back to his room, a slight swagger in his step.

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><p>Before I knew it, Friday was upon us, and I was in my room, packing a bag for my weekend getaway with Edward. I was super excited, but it almost seemed as if Alice was more excited than I was. When I'd told her Edward was taking me to their home for the weekend, she'd let out a squeal and thrown herself at me. I think she knew this was a big step in my relationship with Edward.<p>

A little after four, Edward knocked on the door, and I opened it to find him standing there with a duffle bag slung over one shoulder and a beautiful smile on his face.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Definitely."

We went out to his car after saying goodbye to everyone and tossed our bags in the backseat before getting in the car. Due to traffic, it took us about forty minutes before we crossed over the bridge that led us to Mercer Island. As soon as we hit the island, I was mesmerized by the giant houses, and I couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like to grow up in one. Before long, we were stopping at a gated driveway, and Edward punched some numbers into the keypad, and then, the gate opened up. We drove down a long driveway, and I let out a gasp as his house came into view.

It was a fucking mansion! The house was two stories with big glass windows, surrounded by tall hedges for privacy. Pulling the car to a stop in front of the garage doors, Edward put the car in park and came around to open my door for me. I was sure I looked like an idiot just standing there gaping at the place.

"C'mon," he said, taking my hand. "I'll get the bags later."

As soon as he opened the doors to his house, I let out a gasp. The very first thing I saw was the polished marble floor and a giant staircase as well as a view of the sound.

"Holy shit!" I said, and Edward let out a laugh. With my hand still in his, he gave me a tour of the house, each room leaving me more dazzled and impressed. It was obvious that they were an extremely wealthy family, yet the house wasn't so overdone that I felt like I couldn't touch anything or feel at home.

"Mom decorated the place," Edward explained after I'd told him that I'd loved the kitchen. "She loves to remodel, so every few years, she does."

"So, how big is this place?" I asked as we began to make our way upstairs.

"It's got five bedrooms and five bathrooms. There was no way Alice would have ever been able to handle sharing a bathroom with Emmett and me."

I let out a snort at that. Truer words had never been spoken. She could barely handle sharing a bathroom with three other girls.

"Uh, this is my room," Edward said, opening a door and walking in. His room was as big as my house. Seriously, it was freaking huge with eight floor to ceiling windows and a balcony.

"This is an amazing room," I told him as I walked in. There were two bookshelves overflowing with books, a slightly messy desk with a computer, and the world's largest bed. A bed that I would be sleeping in as well as doing other things in I hoped.

"Let's go grab the bags and bring them up here, and then I'll start dinner if you want," Edward suggested, and I nodded in agreement.

An hour later, we'd eaten an early dinner of chicken with a side of pasta and salad, and I had to admit, I was impressed with Edward's cooking skills. I'd been doubtful at first and had offered my help, but Edward had refused. So, I'd sat and talked with him as I watched him cook. The man looked incredibly sexy in the kitchen, and by the time we were done with dinner, I wanted him more than ever.

"Do you want to sit in the hot tub?" Edward asked after we'd cleaned up the dishes.

"Oh. Um … I didn't bring a bathing suit," I told him.

"So, go naked," he suggested with a grin and shot me a wink, and I found myself contemplating the idea. It wasn't like he hadn't seen me mostly naked before, so I agreed. His mouth dropped open, and he squeaked out, "really?"

"Why not? You're going to see me naked later anyway, right?"

"Well, alright then," he said before running off to grab us some towels. Seconds later, he was back and led me out toward the patio. He told me to wait inside while he got the hot tub running, and I agreed. It was quite cold out, and suddenly, the thought of going out there naked wasn't quite as appealing as before.

As soon as the hot tub was ready, Edward whipped his clothes off, and all I could do was stare. He was so fucking hot, and he was mine! Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and went out to the tub, deciding to get rid of my clothes as quickly as possible. Edward was already in, and I knew he was watching me. Sadly, there would be no sexy striptease. It was freezing, and I wanted to get warm as quickly as possible.

"Get in here," Edward said the second I was naked, his voice having dropped an octave and become husky. I did as he commanded and gasped as the hot water touched my skin. Taking my hand, Edward pulled me toward him, and I moaned as my skin made contact with his.

I settled down next to him, his hand now resting on my knee as he leaned in for a kiss. It started off slow and sweet, but it soon turned into something hotter. His tongue traced my lower lip before he gave it a nip, knowing that he drove me crazy when he did that. Soon, his lips left mine and began to trail a path down my neck to my collarbone, licking and nipping along the way, and driving me insane. Moans were erupting from me constantly as he continued his assault, and I gripped his hair in my hands and dragged his mouth back to mine.

As our lips melded and our tongues stroked, his hands cupped my breasts, and he began to rub light circles around my tightened peaks. Need and want were racing through my body, and I needed more of him. Pushing him back slightly, I straddled his lap, getting a bit of a shock when I felt him hard against my stomach and knowing there were no barriers between us. It was a bit scary, but I trusted Edward, and more than that, I was in love with him. Oh, I wasn't ready to tell him that just yet, but it was true.

We stayed in that position for some time, kissing, nibbling, and running our hands over each other until neither one of us could stand it anymore.

"Let's take this to my room," Edward suggested, and I eagerly agreed. Edward got out first, and I caught a glimpse of his pen—his cock, before he wrapped a towel around himself. Holding out the second towel to me, I quickly got out of the tub and let Edward wrap me up in the towel before we made our way inside and up to his room. I excused myself for a moment and went into his bathroom. My nerves had kicked in, and I splashed water on my face to calm myself down. With slightly shaking hands, I combed my hair out with my fingers and took a deep breath before opening the door and going back into the room.

As if sensing my nervousness, Edward came up to me and pulled me in for a tight hug.

"Relax, Bella. We won't do anything you aren't ready to do."

"Oh, I want to do this, but I'm just nervous," I admitted, my face flushing.

Edward leaned down and gave me a gentle, sweet kiss, slowly leading me toward the bed. He'd been busy during the few minutes I'd been in the bathroom. The bed had been turned down, and there were lit candles throughout the room. The man was a romantic.

Edward sat down on the edge of the bed, his towel still wrapped around his waist, and pulled me toward him. I put my arms around his neck and leaned down to kiss him, sighing at the feel of his lips on mine. Slowly, he pulled my towel away until I was standing naked before him.

"Stunning," he murmured after breaking our kiss and getting a real good look at me. I wasn't so sure he was right.

Standing up, he dropped his own towel and gestured for me to climb into the bed. I did so unsure of what to do next. Edward crawled in after me and pulled me to him like he did when we cuddled. Immediately, I relaxed. This was no different than any other time we'd been together, except that we were naked and about to get it on.

Soon, we picked up where we'd left on in the hot tub. Our hands roamed over each other's bodies, and I tensed a bit when his fingers made their way up my thigh toward my center. Yes, he'd touched me there with my panties on before, but now, there was nothing between us.

"Okay?" he asked, and I nodded, jolting a bit when his fingers slid through the neatly trimmed hair of my apex. All of our kissing and touching had left me wet and ready, but Edward wasn't done playing.

I gasped as he moved his fingers up and down my folds, teasing me, but when he touched my nub, I cried out his name. I never wanted him to stop, the feelings were so intense, but he did. His hand moved lower, and he carefully inserted one finger into me while bringing his thumb back to my nub. He slowly worked me into a frenzy, and before long, I was crying out his name as my first climax washed over me.

As I came down, Edward placed a gentle kiss above my heart before moving between my thighs. I reveled in the feel of his body on top of mine, and when he asked if I was ready, I nodded. We'd discussed birth control, and I was on the pill and felt that was good enough even though Edward had offered to use condoms as well.

As Edward began to push into me, I tensed a bit at the intrusion before managing to relax. I'd heard horror stories from girls at school who'd bled a lot or been in terrible pain, but as Edward breached my hymen, all I felt was a pinch and a slight burn. Fully seated in me, Edward gave me time to adjust to him, and I couldn't begin to describe what I felt. Seeing that I was okay, Edward pulled out, and I moaned at the loss. Just as quickly as he'd pulled out, he pushed back in, and my hips rose to meet his thrusts. Edward began thrusting harder and faster, and I found myself wrapping my legs around him and holding on for the ride. I didn't expect to orgasm again, and I probably wouldn't have if Edward hadn't reached down and begun to rub my nub.

This orgasm was more intense than the last one, and it triggered Edward's orgasm as well. His eyes closed, he threw his head back, his body tensed, and he yelled my name. It was an amazing sight to see. He collapsed on top of me when he was done, and I held him close, our breaths coming out in spurts.

Edward rolled off of me, and I cuddled into his side, tossing a leg over his. I wanted to ask if it had been okay, but I couldn't. I didn't want to know if he thought it sucked because I had found it quite enjoyable. Edward, apparently, didn't have any problems though because he pulled me closer and told me it was wonderful.

"Are you okay? It didn't hurt too much, did it?" he asked me, and I shook my head.

"Good," Edward said before planting one hell of a kiss on me and getting me all riled up.

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><p>Our weekend went by far too quickly, and on Sunday morning, Edward made breakfast and brought it to me in bed. I smiled when I saw the flower and the small box on the tray next to a plate of waffles.<p>

"Open it," Edward insisted, and I obliged. Inside the small box, I found a gift card to a local bookstore, and a huge smile broke out over my face. Edward knew how I felt about him spending a ton of money on me, so this was the perfect gift.

"Thank you!" I said, throwing my arms around him and almost upsetting the tray in my lap.

"You're welcome," he said, pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose. I grinned at him and fed him bites of my breakfast as we cuddled in bed. Earlier that morning before he'd made breakfast, I'd confessed that I hadn't found a suitable Valentine's gift for him. He'd told me that being my first was gift enough. It was cheesy, yet romantic at the same time.

After breakfast, we had a quick romp in the shower, and then it was time to leave and go back to school. I was sad to be leaving the privacy of our little bubble, but we had to go back sometime.

We'd been on the road for about fifteen minutes when Alice sent me a text asking when we were coming back because she had something important to discuss with us. I texted her back, letting her know we'd be there soon.

"Alice?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, she's got something important to tell us."

Twenty minutes later, we were pulling into the school parking lot, and I let out a sigh, knowing that reality was going to be kicking back in. Edward grabbed our bags out of the trunk and tossed an arm around my shoulders as we made our way toward the dorm. There were people milling about, and I noticed Lauren, Bree, and a few other girls sitting in the common area. I knew for a fact that they were looking at us. I could feel their stares burning a hole in my back.

Ignoring them, Edward and I made our way up to my room where we found the whole gang waiting for us. I really prayed this wasn't some sort of _congratulations you got laid_ party.

"What's up, guys?" Edward asked, setting our bags down by my desk.

"I think I know who sent that letter Bella received," Alice said from her spot on Jasper's lap on her bed. Her hands were clasped tightly together, and I had a feeling I wasn't going to like the answer.

"Who?" I asked.

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><p><strong>an: Yeah, I did that. I'm curious to hear what you think. Let me know, and I'll see you next weekend.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I love hearing your theories and what you thought. This chapter comes with a lemon, so you've been warned. Off you go. Oh, and a huge thanks to Heather for her awesome beta skills.**

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><p>Saying she knew who it was, Alice had us all staring at her. When I finally found my voice, I managed to ask her who it was.<p>

"Well, I don't know for sure, but I think it's either Bree, Jessica, or both."

"Jessica? Your cousin?" I asked, and she nodded. I'd never even entertained the notion that Jessica would be involved in this, but it certainly made sense. She'd been pining after Mike since forever, and she obviously still wanted him.

"What makes you sure it's them?" Edward asked her.

"Yesterday afternoon, I was coming back from Starbucks, and I heard a familiar laugh in the parking lot as I was getting out of my truck. I looked over and saw Jessica talking to Bree. I don't know what they were talking about, but they stopped when they spotted me," she explained.

"But how do they know each other?" I asked because it didn't make any sense to me. Jessica lived in Forks, and Bree was here in Seattle.

"I think they must have met through Lauren," Alice said, and Edward nodded his agreement.

"Lauren knew Jessica, and they got along quite well with each other, so it's definitely possible that Lauren introduced Bree to Jessica," he said.

I rubbed my temples as I listened to them, and I could feel a headache coming on. It made total sense that Jessica would be helping Mike. She'd been crushing on him since junior high, and they'd even dated at one point until he'd broken up with her. Even then, she'd still been crazy about him, and now, I was starting to think she was just crazy.

"Okay, so I see could Jessica helping Mike. She's stupid about him, but why would Bree help Jessica? What's in it for her? It would make more sense for Lauren to be helping Jessica, not Bree," I commented.

"Lauren's moved on," Rosalie commented. "She's dating some guy from a different school. However, Bree has a massive crush on Edward."

"What? Bree?" he asked, looking startled.

"Please, she's been crushing on you forever. It's pathetic. Anyway, we figure Jessica must have somehow convinced Bree that she could hook her up with Edward if Bree helped her out," Rosalie said.

"Holy shit," I muttered. "The two of them are fucking nut jobs."

Pulling out my phone, I dialed Detective Masen's number and got his voicemail. I left him a message telling him our suspicions about Jessica and Bree before hanging up. Hopefully, he'd talk to them and get them to confess to sending those letters and scaring me.

"I say we hunt them down and have a talk with them," Emmett growled.

"No," I told him. "We're going to let the police handle it. I'm positive that if Mike is lurking about, and if we mess with Jessica, he'll come after us."

We all talked for a while before saying goodnight, and I was sad that Edward was leaving to go to his room. I hated that our weekend had ended on a not-so-great note, and Edward seemed to notice. He wrapped me up in a huge hug and held me tight, whispering how much he'd enjoyed the weekend. I couldn't help but smile at him, and then he pressed a quick, yet hard kiss to my lips.

After I'd changed into my pajamas, I climbed into bed, exhausted. It had been a long, but wonderful weekend, full of sexy times and little sleep. Add the whole Jessica/Bree conversation on top of things and I was more than ready for sleep. However, Alice had other ideas.

"So?"

"So what?" I asked, rolling over on my side so I could look at her.

"So, how was your weekend?"

A smile spread across my face, and I was glad it was dark so Alice couldn't see the blush that was gracing my cheeks.

"It was amazing," I said softly.

"You've got to give me more than that," she whined, and I snickered at her.

"First off, he's your brother, and second of all, I'm not one for kissing and telling. I'll tell you that it was romantic, hot, and sweet, but that's all I'm saying."

She let out a small huff before she let out a small squeal. "I just knew it would be romantic. Edward is a romantic at heart, unlike Emmett."

"Oh, I think Emmett's got some romantic skills. Isn't he asking Rose to marry him on her birthday?"

"Yeah, he is. He's going to take her out for a picnic at Pritchard Island Beach, and then, he'll propose."

"See. I think that's sweet and romantic."

Eventually, my yawns began to interrupt every sentence I spoke, and I was fairly certain I fell asleep in mid-sentence. I woke up the next morning to my phone ringing, and I blindly groped for it.

"Hello?" I answered in a groggy voice.

"Bella? This is Detective Masen."

Immediately, I was awake. I glanced over at Alice's bed, and seeing that she was still sleeping, I grabbed a hoodie and zipped it up, put some shoes on my feet, and left the room so as not to wake her.

"Hi, Detective Masen."

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to take your call yesterday. I was wondering if you had time to come down to the station this morning?"

"Of course. I can be there in an hour or so," I said, and he told me that was fine.

After hanging up, I rushed back into my room, grabbed my shower stuff, and took an extremely quick shower. Once dressed, I ran up the stairs to Edward's room and knocked lightly on the door. A very rumpled boxer-clad Jasper answered the door.

"Sorry, Jasper," I said in a quiet voice. "I need to see Edward."

Jasper held the door open, and I slipped past him and went over to Edward's bed. He'd kicked his covers off at some point and was sprawled out face down. Sitting down on the edge of his bed, I reached out and gently shook his shoulder.

"Hmmm?"

"Edward," I whispered.

"Bella?" he asked, confusion in his voice and on his face when he rolled over.

"Hey. Detective Masen called and asked me to come in. I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

"Yeah, give me a few minutes," he said and rolled out of bed. His hair was everywhere, and he had crease lines on the side of his face. He was adorably cute.

I sat on his bed while he took a quick shower, and less than ten minutes later, he was ready to go. We walked out to my car, our hands clasped, and I was sure he could tell how nervous I was.

"It's going to be okay," he told me, pressing a kiss to my forehead before climbing into my car. I nodded, but I didn't quite believe him. Something in my gut told me that Detective Masen had bad news.

Twenty minutes later, we were walking into the police station and toward Detective Masen's desk.

"Bella, Edward. Have a seat," Detective Masen said, and Edward and I took a seat across from his desk. He leaned forward, elbows on his desk and his hands clasped.

"I'm afraid the news I've learned isn't good," he began, and I sucked in a breath. I knew it. I just fucking knew it.

"He isn't in California is he?" I asked, and Detective Masen shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. I went to speak to his parole officer, and it turns out, the parole officer is dating one of Mike's cousins. We call that a conflict of interest. After talking to his probation officer and explaining the seriousness of his actions, he admitted he hadn't seen Mike in a few weeks."

"So, there's a very good chance that Mike is here?" Edward asked, and Detective Masen nodded.

"Yes, so now that we know for sure that he's not in California, I need you to be extra vigilant."

I nodded and told him I would be.

"Okay, so tell me about these girls, Jessica Stanley and Bree Tanner."

"Jessica is Edward's cousin and an ex-girlfriend of Mike's. She's liked him since junior high, and in high school, they dated for a few months before he broke up with her," I told him.

"We also had a run in with her a few weeks ago where she called Bella a liar and claimed that Mike was innocent," Edward added.

We went on to tell the detective about what Alice had seen and why we thought the scenario of Jessica and Bree working together with Mike could be viable. Detective Masen promised he'd talk to both girls later in the day. ….. The following day, I was in the library doing research for a paper that had been assigned in my history class when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Edward had wandered off into the stacks somewhere on the next floor up, and he'd left his phone at our table. Turning around, I didn't see anyone, but the feeling was still there.

I didn't think Mike would be stupid enough to try something in the library where more than a few people were milling about, but then again, he wasn't the brightest of people. I grabbed my keys out of my bag and placed them on the table beside me so that the small can of pepper spray was in reach. Then, I went back to taking notes. It was my way of telling whoever it was that I wasn't afraid of them. Well, I was a bit nervous and probably a little paranoid, but I wasn't going to let fear rule my life. That was for damn sure.

"You fucking bitch!" a female voice snarled, and I looked to my right and saw Bree stomping my way. Her face was flushed, and her eyes had a mad wild look to them. I guess Detective Masen had talked to her, and I'm guessing it didn't go over well with her.

"Problem?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and trying to play it cool.

"You fucking called the cops on me!" she screeched, and I winced at her voice. "You're so going to pay for that!"

"Are you threatening me? Because I honestly don't think that's too wise, especially since the police are looking into you."

She stood there, hands on her hips, her mouth opening and closing, and I was beginning to find the whole thing a bit amusing.

"Here's the thing, Bree. I know you're working with Jessica, and she is working with my crazy ex-boyfriend, Mike. What I want to know is why. What do you gain from helping Mike come after me? You do realize that if he hurts me, or anyone else for that matter, that it makes you an accessory. You could do jail time."

Her mouth finally closed, and she stared at me with a look of horror on her face. It was as if she didn't realize just how much deep shit she was in. There was an awkward silence between us until she suddenly spoke.

"Jessica promised she'd hook me up with Edward if I helped her out. All she told me was that she wanted you out of the picture, and I was fine with that. I didn't realize at first that she was helping that guy out."

"Is he here? In Seattle?"

She nodded, her hands twisting together. "He's been staying at some motel a few blocks away, and she's staying with him. He scares me."

Hearing that Mike was so close terrified me, and the thought of how he could do hurt me or my friends made it even worse.

"That's because he's a scary motherfucker," I told her, sighing as I spotted Edward coming our way. His face was livid as he spotted Bree, but I shook my head slightly. I needed to know what she knew, and a pissed off Edward would probably only cause her to shut down. He stopped not too far from Bree and leaned against a shelf so he could listen to what she had to say.

"Did you let know Detective Masen know that Mike's around?" I asked her, and I scowled when she shook her head.

"Why the fuck not?" I hissed, and I saw Edward's face darken.

"He made me nervous," she admitted, and I didn't bother to hide my aggravated sigh. Pulling out my phone, I dialed Detective Masen's number and told Bree to sit down. I could tell she didn't want to, but she did, especially once Edward made his presence known. He sat down in a chair across from her, his arms crossed over his chest and a menacing look on his face. She couldn't meet his gaze and stared down at the table.

"Detective Masen? It's Bella Swan. I'm here with Bree Tanner, and there's something she forgot to tell you earlier," I told him after he answered, and I handed my phone over to her. The look I gave her dared her not to talk to him.

With shaking hands, she took my phone.

"Um … this is Bree," she said, and she paused to listen to whatever it was the detective had to say.

"I may have forgotten to tell you that Mike is staying at the Low Ridge Motel. Jessica's been staying with him."

I couldn't hear what he said next, but whatever it was, it had her face going pale, and she began stammering out an apology. Finally, she handed the phone back to me.

"I'm going over there with some officers right now," Detective Masen told me, and I thanked him.

I hung up the phone and looked over at Bree once more. I suggested that she keep her distance from not only Jessica but me and my friends. She glanced over at Edward, and she nodded.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," she said before scrambling out of her seat and taking off. I rolled my eyes because her apology didn't mean jack shit.

"I'm not convinced she isn't going to run off to Jessica and tell her that she confessed to us and the police," Edward said, a harsh look on his face as he watched her walk away.

"I don't think she will," I told him, placing a hand on his arm. "She said that Mike scares her, and I think she knows that if she says something to Jessica, Jessica will turn around and tell Mike."

Edward rubbed a hand over his face. "At least the cops know where Mike is now. That makes me feel better."

I nodded in agreement. It made me feel a lot better as well. Of course, I'd feel much better once I was told Mike was in custody.

Edward and I spent another hour in the library, but we didn't get much studying done. His hand kept finding its way to my knee or my thigh where he'd rub up and down and drive me mad. I decided to reciprocate and see how he liked it.

"You've gotta stop, love, or else," he warned, and I smirked.

"Or else what?" I asked.

He gave me a wicked grin, looked around quickly, and dragged me into his lap so I was straddling him, silencing my squeak with his lips. His hips rolled, and I bit back a moan, heaving a sigh of despair when he put me back in my chair.

I couldn't believe that we'd just done that and I suddenly wanted him all to myself. I began shoving stuff into my bag, and then, I grabbed his notebooks and books and began putting them into his bag.

"In a hurry, love?" he asked with a cocky grin on his face.

"Oh, shut up," I said, sticking my tongue out at him, and he burst out laughing. He zipped up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder before grabbing my bag.

"My place or yours?" he asked as we left the library.

"Whichever one is empty," I commented, walking as fast as I could without running. I desperately needed him.

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text. His phone beeped a minute later, and he turned to me with a grin.

"My place it is."

By the time we made it to his room, it was taking all I had to keep my hands to myself. Apparently, he was in just as much of a hurry as I was because his hands were trembling as he attempted to unlock his door, and it took him a couple of tries. Finally, the door was unlocked, and he tossed our bags in a corner of his room before taking me in his arms and tumbling us onto his bed.

Our lips melded together, and our hands began tugging at each other's clothes. It didn't take long before we were both naked, and I found myself straddling Edward's lap. We hadn't had sex in that position before, but I was more than willing to try.

Edward's hands moved up my torso until he cupped a breast in each hand and gave my nipples a light pinch causing me to roll my hips over his. We both let out a moan, and it was almost sad how little foreplay was needed. I lifted myself up a bit so I could grasp his cock and line him up perfectly before I sank down on him. God, he felt so fucking good.

It only took a few seconds to get acquainted with my new position, but once I did, I began to ride Edward hard. His hands grasped my hips, his fingers digging into my skin, and I knew I'd have bruises in the morning, but I didn't care.

"Faster, Bella," he grunted, and I obliged. My hips moved up and down at a fast pace as one of his hands trailed down my torso to my apex. I let out a loud moan as he began to rub my nub, and it didn't take long before my body tensed, and I cried out his name. Seconds after I came, Edward stilled and roared out my name, and I collapsed on top of him.

We lay there for quite some time, catching our breaths, and eventually, I rolled off Edward. He pulled me close to him, and I snuggled up to him. We didn't talk; instead, we just lay there, enjoying the feel of each other until my stomach growled.

Edward let out a laugh. "Hungry?"

"Well, I have worked up quite an appetite," I said with a grin, leaning up to give him a kiss.

"Let's get you fed," he said, standing up and beginning to put on his clothes. I stayed where I was for a few more minutes, enjoying the view in front of me. Edward had a gorgeous body, and I certainly enjoyed looking at it.

Thirty minutes later, we met up with Alice and Jasper in the cafeteria, and I noticed that Rose and Em weren't around.

"Date night," Jasper told me when I inquired as to their whereabouts.

"Ah, well I guess we can tell them the news the later," I said.

"News? What news? Are you engaged or pregnant?" Alice asked, and I rolled my eyes as Edward swatted at her head.

"Neither of those. We have news on the whole Bree/Jessica/Mike conspiracy triangle, or whatever you want to call it," I told them.

"Do tell," Jasper said, leaning forward.

So, Edward and I proceeded to tell them all about my encounter with Bree in the library. We told them how she'd gotten mad at me and then admitted that she was working with Jessica and Mike, and that she knew where Mike was.

"Hold up," Jasper interrupted. "She knew where he was, and she didn't tell the police? Is she fucking stupid?"

"Yes," we all answered.

"Do you think your aunt and uncle know what Jessica is up to?" he asked a moment later. I looked across the table at Alice and then turned to look Edward. They were both shaking their heads.

"Her parents are pretty oblivious to any of Jessica's wrongdoings," Edward answered. "But, I want to let Mom and Dad know."

Seeing my look of surprise, Edward told me that he and Alice had been keeping their parents informed of the situation. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that. I was afraid that his parents would think I had too much baggage to be a good choice for Edward. Almost as if he could read my mind, Edward put down his fork and cupped my face in his hands.

"Don't," was all he said.

"Don't what?" I asked, my brow furrowing.

"Don't go thinking you're not good enough for me. You are."

"What are you? A mind reader?" I huffed. Edward let out a snort, placed a kiss on the tip of my nose, and told me that my face was easy to read. After dinner, the boys went to play pool in the commons while Alice and I went back to our room to do homework, and I needed to study for a test. By eight, my brain hurt, and I was more than relieved when my phone rang, interrupting me. I didn't even pay attention to the number because I assumed it was Detective Masen calling to update me.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Isabella," came a voice that I'd hoped to never hear again.

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><p><strong>an: I know. I'm a horrible person for doing this. *snorts* Let me know what you thought.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! I love hearing from you all. Now this chapter is a bit different. You're getting 3 different POVs, so I hope you enjoy it. Huge thanks to my awesome beta, Heather, for being so honest and encouraging. On you go.**

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><p>Mike. I stared at my phone in horror as his voice continued to come through my phone.<p>

"I saw you today," I heard him say. "You were talking with your roommate. I believe her name is Alice Cullen, isn't it? She's the sister of your _boyfriend_," he said, sneering the word. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing would come out.

Mike let out a laugh that had shivers running through my body and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"Oh, I know all about the Cullens and the Hales. I've done my homework, Isabella. I've been watching all of you for weeks, and I know your schedules by heart."

"Leave me alone or I'm calling the police," I warned him, and he let out another laugh.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that. If you call the police something bad just might happen to your precious little Edward or your roommate."

I swallowed around the lump in my throat, and I knew his threats were very real.

"How did you get my number, Mike?" I finally managed to ask as Alice stared at me in horror before rushing out the door; probably to go get Edward.

"It was easy enough when Cullen leaves his phone lying about on the library table. A few swipes and ta da, I had your number," he said, his tone almost mocking.

"What do you want?" I spat out, my hand tightening on my phone.

"What I've always wanted. You. You're mine Isabella, or have you forgotten? You were always mine and always will be. I just might forgive you for your indiscretions with _that_ boy. Have you let him touch you, Isabella? Has he turned you into his whore?"

I was trembling with rage, and I was seeing red.

"Don't you dare talk about Edward!" I snarled at Mike which only made him laugh.

"Oh, I'll do more than talk about him. I plan on removing him from the picture completely," he said in a cold voice, and my face paled. I had no doubt that Mike could and would commit murder if he deemed it necessary.

"Of course, you could persuade me to change my mind."

"How?" I choked out.

Mike just let out a laugh and hung up, leaving me confused, angry, and terrified. My hands were shaking so bad that I dropped my phone onto the floor and sat there almost paralyzed with fear. I jolted when the door to my room opened and Alice walked in with the entire gang on her heels.

"What did he want?" Edward asked, sitting down next to me and pulling me onto his lap.

"To threaten me and warn me that he was watching us," I told him.

"We need to call Detective Masen," Alice said, and my hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could pick up her phone.

"No."

"What?" she asked, and they all stared at me.

"You can't call Detective Masen. If you do, Mike will hurt you. He knows our class schedules, and I have no doubt he'll go after one of you if I call the police."

"Bella, we need to call the police," Edward urged, and I shook my head.

I was adamant that the police were not to be called, but I stopped arguing when Edward stood up and started pacing, anguish on his face. I'd never seen him so upset before, and I knew it was all my fault.

"Jesus, Bella! Why are you being so stupid about this?" he yelled, his face red with anger. "Do you really think Mike isn't going to try and come after us no matter what?"

"I—"

"We're calling the police," he said, his tone allowing no room for argument, as he grabbed Alice's phone.

I sat on the edge of my bed, listening as Edward talked to Detective Masen before he thrust the phone my way. I took it from him, noting that he would barely look at me.

For the next twenty minutes, Detective Masen and I talked, and I felt a bit ashamed when he said I'd done the right thing by calling him and letting him know that Mike had called.

"Don't go anywhere alone," he stressed. "While the hotel was a dead end and Mike is continuing to elude us, I promise you, we're doing what we can to find him."

"I promise," I swore to him.

After he hung up, I handed Alice her cell phone, and then, there was an awkward silence before Alice asked me what Detective Masen said.

"He said calling was the right thing to do and to be vigilant since Mike was still on the loose."

Edward crossed his arms over his chest and stared at me. The others quickly excused themselves, leaving Edward and I alone.

"I'm sorry," I told him, staring at my hands as I twisted them together.

He didn't say anything, and I finally looked up at him.

"I'm afraid," I shouted. "I'm beyond terrified that Mike is going to hurt you, and that's why I didn't want you to call the police. I believed him when he said he'd hurt us."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose before he sat down on Alice's bed across from me.

"I understand that, Bella. I'm scared too, but not calling the police would be playing right into his hands. That's what he wants. What if he'd asked you to meet him somewhere? Would you have done that and not told us?"

"If it kept you safe, then yes," I admitted, and Edward sighed as he nodded.

"I'd probably do the same thing, but we can't do that. We can't let him separate us. We have to stick together, and we have to trust each other," he told me, getting up and sitting beside me.

"I do trust you," I insisted, and he took my hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I know you do, so trust me when I tell you that we have to keep the police in the loop. I can't have anything happening to you," he said, cupping my face in his hands.

"I feel the same," I told him.

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><p>The next day as Alice, Jasper, and I walked toward the cafeteria, my phone rang, and I noticed right away the number was unknown. Tentatively, I answered it.<p>

"Hello?"

"Did you know that Cullen sits in the front row next to the window in his history class?" Mike asked, and my heart about stopped. "I can see him perfectly from where I'm at."

Immediately, I took off running in the direction of the building Edward was in with Alice and Jasper on my heels. It took me a few minutes to get there, and when I did, I scanned the area looking for Mike.

"Nice try, Isabella," Mike said through the phone, and I stared at it, not even realizing that I hadn't hung up. "You won't find me, and neither will the police."

He hung up after speaking those words, and I dialed Detective Masen. He wanted me to come in so they could try and run a trace on my phone, and I agreed, telling him that Edward and I would stop by later in the afternoon.

Alice, Jasper, and I waited outside of Edward's class until it was done, and then, we told him all about the phone call.

"I thought campus security was supposed to be on the lookout for Mike," he said, disgust evident in his voice. "Apparently, they're doing a real shitty job."

"Apparently. Anyway, Detective Masen wants us to come down to the station so they can try and trace the number Mike's calling me from."

After a quick lunch, where I didn't have much of an appetite, Edward and I said goodbye to Alice and Jasper and began to make our way toward the parking lot. A thunderstorm had come out of nowhere, and the areas around us emptied of people quickly. Nervous and feeling that something wasn't quite right, I began toward my car with Edward at my heels. A few feet from my car, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and then Edward went down.

I thought he'd slipped and fallen, but I saw that wasn't the case when I turned around. There, standing over him, was a tall figure wearing a hoodie with the hood drawn up and a small box-like thing in their hand.

"Get in the car, Isabella," the hooded figure spoke, and I knew instantly it was Mike.

"No!" I screamed at him.

"Do as I say, or I'll hurt him far worse than he already is," he threatened, and I watched in horror as he pulled a knife out of his pocket.

In my haste to get my car unlocked, I dropped my keys and my backpack on the ground, and I scrambled to pick them both up.

"Hurry the fuck up, Isabella," Mike said, and I did my best to comply, but apparently, I didn't move fast enough. I watched in horror as Mike plunged the knife into Edward's torso. I began to scream loudly, but the booming of thunder drowned me out.

Standing up, looking like a figure from a horror movie, Mike made his way toward me, blood dripping down the blade of the knife.

"Get in the fucking car!" he roared, and I did as he demanded.

I slid behind the wheel, tossing my bag in the back as he climbed into the passenger seat. He had the knife in one hand and the box-like Taser in the other. Tears were streaming down my face, and I tried to figure out what to do next. I couldn't drive away and leave Edward to die on the pavement.

"Start the car," Mike snarled, and with shaking hands, I turned the key.

"Good girl," he purred, and I almost gagged. "Now, you and I are going to go for a little drive."

I shook my head. I wasn't going anywhere alone with him, and I told him so.

"Oh, I think you will because if you don't do as I say, I will get out of this car and slit his throat, guaranteeing that he's dead. Is that what you want? Do you want to be responsible for his death?"

"No," I whispered, and Mike gave me a feral smile.

"I didn't think so. Get on the I-5 going south. I'll tell you what exit to get off at," he told me before grabbing my backpack and digging through it.

Once we were on the interstate, Mike took my phone out of the front pocket of my bag and tossed it out the window before doing the same to my wallet. As I drove, he talked about how wonderful things would be now that we were together again and how he couldn't wait to teach me some discipline. I did my best to tune him out, but he occasionally demanded answers to his questions.

"Why did you lie to the police about me, Isabella?" he asked me, reaching over and stroking a finger down the side of my cheek.

"I didn't lie to them. You hurt me, and I told them the truth."

"You liar!" he screamed, grabbing my ponytail and yanking on it hard. "I loved you, Isabella. I loved you, and you betrayed me. There will be consequences for your actions."

He finally let go of my ponytail, but not before he cut a lock of my hair off with his knife. I was so scared I felt nauseous, and I was beginning to hyperventilate.

"Take exit 158 and make a left," he told me, and I followed his directions as he weaved us through the streets of Seattle.

Fifteen minutes later, I found myself pulling into a public storage lot. I slowly drove through the rows of storage units until he told me to stop, put the car in park, and hand over my keys.

"Why?" I asked him, wondering why he wanted my keys.

He reached over and grabbed the back of my neck. "Because I fucking said so. Do you think I want you trying to get away?"

I did as he said, watching as he tossed my keys somewhere into the empty parking lot.

Then, he ordered me out of the car, shoving the Taser into his back pocket as he got out.

"You've been a very good girl," he said softly, caressing my shoulder with his hand. I yanked away from him and tossed a kick his way, catching him in his knee, and felt a bit of satisfaction as he dropped the knife and let out a howl.

"You really need to work on your manners," he snarled before slapping me across the face so hard that I staggered and fell to my knees. My face was on fire, and I was livid.

"Get up!" he screamed at me, and I did, prepared for a fight.

As soon as I was standing, I balled my fist and threw a punch at his face, wincing as I made contact with his nose. Blood began pouring down his face, and I watched as his eyes hardened.

"You stupid fucking bitch!"

I braced myself for the blow that he was sure to throw my way. Instead of hitting me though, he wrapped his hand around my throat and squeezed tight. I began to struggle in earnest as black spots invaded my vision, and I clawed at the hands at my throat.

As I began to black out, I heard a car pull up, and I prayed someone had come to help me.

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><p><strong>JPOV<strong>

I pulled the car into the empty storage parking lot, and I saw Mike standing over the limp body of that bitch, Bella Swan.

"Did you kill her?" I asked him.

He shot me a look of disbelief. "Of course not. Why would I do that?"

I saw red at his words. After everything she'd done to him, after she'd obviously just attacked him, he still wanted to be with her. I wasn't about to let that happen. Not everything I'd done for him. I grabbed the Taser that was in his back pocket and pressed it to his back, grinning in satisfaction as he dropped to his knees, screaming. I cranked up the juice on it and held it against him until he stopped moving. Oh, he was still alive, but he'd be out for a while. I knew he'd forgive me after I explained that it was for his own good. He was blinded by her.

I shoved the Taser into my jacket pocket and then made my way over to Bella's body. I stared down at her, scowling as I stared at her stupid face. She'd been a thorn in my side for a long time, and I hated her with a passion.

Bending down, I grabbed her legs and began to drag her toward the back of the car. Once there, I popped open the trunk and did my best to haul her into it. She was far heavier than I'd anticipated, so it took me a while to get her into the trunk. I grinned as I shoved her into it, not caring that her head hit the side of the car. Once she was in there, I grabbed some rope from the backseat and tied her hands and her feet, and I slapped some duct tape on her mouth. No way was I letting this bitch get away. Not after everything she'd done.

I slammed the trunk shut and, whistling, I made my way to the driver's side and climbed behind the wheel of the car. I felt high, elated in fact.

Mike's idea had been to lock her in a storage unit and leave her there for a few days until she begged for his forgiveness, but I found that plan absurd. My plan was far better. I wanted to get rid of her . . . permanently. She couldn't be allowed to worm her way back into Mike's good graces. I wouldn't allow it.

As I began to drive, I thought about Mike and how much I loved him. I'd written to him while he was in jail, and when he'd gotten out and moved to California, we'd kept in touch. His letters had been full of gratitude to me for keeping in touch, and they'd been filled with scorn for Bella. He'd talked of getting revenge on her for ruining his life, and I'd eagerly agreed to help him out.

After he'd gotten cut loose from his parole officer, we'd met up in secret in Port Angeles and had begun to outline our plan. Forks was a small town, and it was easy enough to learn that Bella had moved to Seattle to go to college. And then, my mother had informed me that Bella was Alice's roommate, and I knew it wouldn't be long before Bella wormed her way into their family. That's the kind of person she was. Bella Swan was a user and a gold digger. Lauren and I'd had many talks about it once Bella had started hanging out with Edward, and I'd warned Lauren to watch out. Bella was crafty, and I'd been proven right when Edward had broken up with Lauren to be with Bella.

Once Mike and I had begun to plan our revenge against Bella, I'd noticed how livid Mike had been that Bella was dating Edward. I'd tried to ignore it, but then, he started to obsess about it. He would spend hours ranting about Bella and Edward, and then one night, after some rather rough sex, he started in about how Bella belonged to him. I was beyond furious. I thought about leaving him then and there, but I realized that it was Bella's fault that Mike was obsessing over her. If she wasn't around, then he'd be free to be mine, but I had to get rid of her first. So, I'd plotted and planned behind Mike's back. He'd told me that he was going to lure Bella down to the storage unit where we'd been meeting and making plans after Bree had ratted Mike out.

I shook my head in disgust as I thought of that girl. I'd promised to help her get Edward even though I knew there was no way Edward would have ever gone out with the girl. Fortunately, hadn't known that. However, Bree had been weak, and she'd allowed Bella and Edward to manipulate her into telling the police where we'd been staying. She'd called me a few minutes later and had confessed to me that she'd spoken to the police. Mike told me we'd take care of her later, and I couldn't wait to see what he had in store for her because no one, and I mean no one, ratted us out and got away with it.

I'd been on the interstate for about twenty minutes when the ringing of my phone caused me to jump, and I pulled it out of my pocket to see that Mike was calling. Apparently, he was awake.

"Hi, Mike," I said, holding the phone from my ear when he began to scream obscenities at me.

"Don't yell at me, Michael. I'm doing what needs to be done. You've been blinded by her, and she has to go," I calmly told him before hanging up and continuing my drive toward Portland, Oregon.

About an hour into the drive, I heard Bella wake up. I could feel the vibrations as she moved around in the trunk, and I could hear her muffled cries, so I cranked up the radio to tune her out, and I kept on driving. Eventually, I got off the interstate and began to make my way through the streets until I found what I was looking for. I pulled into the parking lot of an old and decrepit building that had been a factory of some sort about thirty years ago. Since then, the building had been home to drug addicts and the homeless. I'd been there more than a few times last year with my now ex-boyfriend, Laurent. He'd been real into heroin, and I'd done it a few times myself. Hell, I still shot up once in a while when I needed a boost.

I pulled the car through the parking lot and parked in the corner furthest from the road. It's not like there was a lot of traffic on this road, but every once in a while the cops would drive by the place. I got out of the car and made my way toward the trunk where I could hear Bella moving around. I got the Taser out of my pocket and prepared to use it as I popped open the trunk. I grinned at the sight of her tied up and struggling, and I watched as her eyes widened.

"Surprised to see me?" I asked before grabbing one of her legs and tasered her. Her body arched, and she let out a muffled scream before her body went limp. I gave her another jolt just for the hell of it before I grabbed her under her arms and began to pull her out of the car. She was a hundred and some pounds of dead weight, and I struggled as I dragged her toward the entrance of the factory.

The heel of her shoes left marks on the dirt and gravel of the parking lot, and I had to stop for a moment to catch my breath. Fucking bitch weighed a ton. With another heave, I got her through the doorway and into a large room filled with trash, needles, used condoms, and bird shit. It was a fucking dump, and it reeked, but I wasn't planning on staying long. I stopped to catch my breath for a moment before I continued dragging Bella down the hall.

It took me about ten minutes until I got her stowed away in the farthest room I could find. I stared down at her for a moment, and then I pulled the Taser back out of my pocket. I gripped it tightly as I held it against her chest. I don't know how long I tasered her for, but I figured there was no way she could survive all the electricity I'd just shot through her system, so I put the Taser away and calmly walked out of the building.

Once I was back in the car, I peeled out of the parking lot and made my way back to the interstate. As soon as I was on it, a wild laugh escaped me, and it wouldn't stop. At one point, I had to pull over because I was laughing so hard, tears were falling from my eyes. I'd never felt so exhilarated in my life.

Pulling out my phone, I called Mike and waited for him to pick up. He never did, so when it went to voicemail, I left him a message, letting him know that everything was going to be just fine. As far as I was concerned, everything was perfect. Bella was out of the picture, and Mike was going to be mine.

By the time I was back in Seattle, I was getting worried because I hadn't heard back from Mike. I got a room at a small motel a few miles from the public storage units and tried calling him again. This time, his phone went straight to voicemail. Frowning, I left another message, and a feeling of dread washed over me.

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><p><strong>MPOV<strong>

"Wake up!" someone shouted at me, and I felt the toe of a boot nudging my side.

Scowling, I rolled over and found myself face to face with a cop, and I let out a string of curses.

"Come on, bud. You're coming with me," the fat fuck said, yanking me up and slapping on a pair of cuffs as he told me he was taking me to the drunk tank so I could sober up.

"I'm not fucking drunk!" I roared at him, struggling as he shoved me into the back of the car.

Things were going from bad to worse, and I could see all of my plans going out the window.

"Yeah, okay," The pig laughed as he began driving.

"I was fucking tasered!" I screamed at him.

"Sure you were," the cop sneered, and I became enraged. I reached out and began to kick at the cage separating us. The asshole yelled at me to stop and calm down, but I was beyond listening.

By the time we arrived at the station, I was in a full on rage, and when the back door was opened and I stepped out, I head-butted the cop. He let out a string of curses as his nose began to bleed, and I grinned in satisfaction. Fucking bastard thought he was tougher than me, but I was going to prove him wrong. I pushed him as hard as I could with my hands cuffed behind my back, and then I attempted to make a run for it.

Unfortunately, I didn't get very far, but it took three cops to wrestle me into the station and into a cell. Filthy fucking assholes, I thought as I spat on the floor. They had no idea who they were messing with.

"Well, well. Looks like we got ourselves a stalker and a probation violator," one of them said ten minutes later as he walked toward the cell, holding a file.

I sneered at him as he stopped before me and began to read.

"Seems that this guy here, Michael Andrew Newton, doesn't know when to let go. You do realize that stalking is a punishable offense with up to five years in prison, not to mention added time for violating your parole."

"What the fuck ever," I snarled, unable to believe what was happening to me. I'd planned everything perfectly, and I'd been so fucking careful. It was all Jessica's fault. If she'd stuck to the plan, then I'd have Isabella right where I wanted her, begging for my forgiveness and begging to be mine again. But no. Jessica had to go and fuck all that up. Well, that bitch wasn't going to get away with it. If I was going down, I'd take the whore with me. I'd tell the police whatever they wanted to know, and if I had to, I'd lie to save my own ass.

Four hours later, I was sitting in an interrogation room across from a detective as well as Chief Swan.

"Where the hell is my daughter?" he screamed at me, and it looked like the only thing holding him back from coming at me was the detective beside him.

I'd never liked Chief Swan. The man was an asshole who thought that because he wore a badge that he was better than everyone else, and he'd never thought I was good enough for his precious whore of a daughter. I wondered how he'd feel knowing that his daughter had spread her legs for Cullen.

"Answer the question," the detective demanded, and I shook my head. I wasn't saying a fucking word until my lawyer showed up, and I found it amusing at how upset the chief was getting.

"If you know where she is and you don't tell us, we'll add aiding and abetting a kidnapper to your charges, and let me tell you Newton, you don't want that," Detective Masen warned me.

Again, I didn't say a word. I just crossed my arms and stared at him. Oh, I was going to give Jessica up, there was no doubt about that, but I wanted a fucking deal first.

For the next thirty minutes, we sat there in cold silence, staring at one another until my lawyer walked in. I could tell he wasn't pleased to see me, but I didn't give a rat's ass. He was being paid for his time.

I tuned them out as my lawyer discussed the charges with the detective, and it was only when Jensen asked to speak to me alone that I gave him my attention.

"Do you know where the Swan girl is?" he asked me.

"No."

He stared at me as if to see if I was lying, but I wasn't. I didn't know where the fuck Jessica had taken her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I might have an idea, but I'm not telling them anything unless I get something out of this."

Jensen ran a hand over his thinning hair. "Look, Mike. You're in serious trouble. I can probably get the charges for your parole violation dropped, but the stalking and assault in the first degree charges are going to stick. However, you might get some leniency from a judge if you help them find Jessica and Bella."

I didn't want to do anymore jail time, but Jensen told me tough shit. There was no way I wasn't doing time, but if I cooperated, it would be less, so I finally agreed.

"Where is she?" Detective Masen asked as soon as he came in, and I noticed Chief Swan wasn't with him.

"I don't know."

Detective Masen pushed away from the table, stood up, and began to walk toward the door when I stopped him.

"She talked about Portland a lot," I told him, and he turned to face me.

"Where in Portland?"

"I don't know. She used to date some druggie named Laurent. They'd go to Portland all the time to score heroin."

The detective relayed that information to some other cop and then sat back down, demanding to know Jessica's involvement in all of it. So, I talked. I told him everything. I told him how pathetic and desperate Jessica was to be with me and how the little bitch had done everything I asked of her.

"She delivered the notes that I left for Isabella, took pictures of her, and kept me up to date on all of Isabella's comings and goings until I could get to Seattle," I explained. "I wouldn't have been able to do all of this without her help."

The detective took notes, and then, he took my phone out of his pocket and slid it across the table.

"Call her."

"What?"

"Call her. Tell her you want to meet at the storage unit."

"Why?" I asked.

"Should I let the judge know that you refused to cooperate in the finding of a kidnapped victim?"

Snarling, I grabbed the phone and saw that Jessica had called me multiple times. I dialed her number and waited impatiently for her to pick up.

"Mike!" she cried out, her voice full of relief. "I've been so worried about you. Why didn't you answer my calls?"

"My phone died," I lied to her. "Listen, can we meet at the storage unit to talk?"

"When?" she asked, and I looked over at Detective Masen. He slid a notebook with a time written down, and I relayed it to her.

"Of course," she said, and then we hung up.

Detective Masen took my phone back and gave me a small nod.

As a guard walked me back to my cell, I wondered if Isabella was still alive.

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><p><strong>an: Well? What did you think? Let me know!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: We're nearing the end, folks. The next chapter will the be the last regular chapter, and then there will be an epilogue. I can't thank you enough for the love you've shown this story. A huge thank you to my awesome beta, Heather, for her awesome ideas and beta skills.**

**P.S. This chapter has two POVS.**

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><p>I let out a groan as I slowly regained consciousness, and I opened my eyes, blinking a few times. My head fucking hurt, and my arms and legs felt like pins and needles. What the hell had Mike done to me? I went to move my arms but quickly realized my hands were tied behind my back, and that my legs were tied as well. Panic started to crawl its way up my throat, and I did my best to stay calm, but it didn't work. It only took moments for me to realize that I was trapped in something moving and something very small. Putting two and two together, it dawned on me that I was in the trunk of a car. That was incredibly terrifying.<p>

My breathing picked up, my heart raced, and I felt like the walls, so to speak, were closing in around me. I began to scream as best as I could against the thing covering my mouth while trying to hurl myself around the small confines of the trunk. There was no escaping though, and I sent myself into a full blown panic attack. I began to hyperventilate until I saw dark spots and was in danger of passing out.

It went on forever, or so it seemed. When the car came to a stop and the engine cut off, I almost cried with relief. That relief was quickly diminished when the trunk popped open, and I saw Jessica's face staring into me.

"Surprised to see me?" she asked before she grabbed one of my tied up legs. I attempted to move away, but it did no good. I had nowhere to go, and when I saw the taser in her hand, I knew there was no way to fight her. She pressed it to my leg, and I let out a muffled scream before the world went black.

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><p>Darkness surrounded me, and I felt like I would drown in it no matter how hard I tried to escape. I could hear muffled voices around me, and there was a horrible stench that made me nauseous. I struggled to open my eyes as I heard movement around me, and someone began to shove me.<p>

"Get off my bed!" a voice screamed, and my eyes flew open as I was roughly pushed onto a cold cement floor.

I muffled a scream as pain radiated throughout my body, and my heart was racing so fast I was afraid it was going to explode. After a few minutes, my heart slowed, and my eyes adjusted to the dim light. That was when I realized I was tied up and lying on a dirty cement floor. I didn't know where I was or what was going to happen to me, and panic set in causing tears to pour down my face. I struggled against the ropes, crying out in pain when they dug into my skin.

"Help me," I tried yelling through the duct tape, knowing there was at least one person nearby since they had pushed me onto the floor.

"Please," I sobbed. "Please help me."

"Shut up!" the voice I'd heard earlier screamed at me before a bottle smashed onto the floor right next to my head. "I'm trying to sleep!"

I did my best not to breakdown, but it wasn't easy. Tears were streaming down my face, and I was having a hard time catching my breath. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths and focused on the fact that I had to get back to Edward. I had to make sure that he was okay, and the only way to do that was to get help.

It took me a few tries to get into a sitting position, and by the time I did, tears were falling from my eyes, and I felt like I'd been hit by a freight train. Everything was sore. Taking a few deep breaths to keep myself from vomiting, I began to scoot toward the broken bottle that had been thrown at me. I fumbled around before my fingers closed around a piece of glass, and I winced as the glass sliced my fingers.

Several times, the glass slipped from my fingers, now wet with blood, as I attempted to saw my way through the rope binding my hands. Finally, after what felt like hours, I began to make progress and was able to loosen them enough so that I could slip one of my hands out. With one hand free, I was able to get the rope off the other hand. After ripping off the duct tape on my mouth, I began to untie the ropes around my feet.

Weak, thirsty, and scared, I slowly got to my feet, wobbling a bit as I did. I wiped my bleeding fingers off on my shirt and took a good look around. There was a filthy looking man sprawled out on a dirty mattress, singing softly to himself, and I could only assume he was the one who'd thrown the bottle at me. The floors and walls were made out of cement and pipes hung from the ceiling. It seemed as if I was in a factory of sorts, and I let out a squeak when I saw a rat scurry across the floor.

I had no idea how to get out of the building, but I certainly wasn't going to ask. Bracing a hand against the wall for support, I began to slowly walk toward the doorway I'd spotted. It took far longer than it should have, and by the time I reached it, I was gasping for breath, and my heart was pounding. I could hear faint voices echoing throughout the building as I made my way into a large empty room.

"Want some?" a man slurred from across the room, holding out the bottle toward me, and I shook my head.

"Your loss!" he screamed before bursting out into laughter.

I spied another doorway across the room, and once again, I slowly made my way toward it. I kept having to stop to catch my breath, and I noticed that my hands were beginning to shake. God, I felt like shit, and I wanted nothing more than to lie down and take a long nap.

For hours, I wandered throughout the building, doing my best to avoid the people who were inhabiting it. I'd just stumbled into a hallway when a tall man stepped into my path, startling me.

"Hey, baby," he said. His eyes were glassy, and there was something scary about him.

I backed away from him, but he took a step forward, invading my personal space.

"Now, don't be like that. Why don't you come with me, and we'll have a good time."

"No thanks," I told him, trying to step around him, but then reached out and grabbed my arm.

Using all the strength I could muster, I slammed my knee up into his balls. As soon as he went down, I started running, and it about killed me. My ribs were throbbing, my heart was frantically racing, and I couldn't seem to catch my breath.

Finally, I found the entrance to the building, and I started sobbing with relief as I stumbled toward it. I tripped over an overturned brick in the doorway, and I fell face first onto the gravel and dirt outside. I didn't even care. I just laid there until I heard footsteps coming toward me. Afraid that the guy I'd kicked in the balls was coming after me, I staggered to my feet and made my way toward some bushes by the side of the building.

I collapsed as soon as I was in them and wiped away the tears that wouldn't seem to stop as I recalled the events of the last twenty-four hours or however long it had been. I couldn't get the image of Mike stabbing Edward out of my mind, and all I could do was pray that Edward was okay. I was still in shock about everything that had happened. I'd expected Mike to hit me and attack me, but I'd never expected to be tasered, tossed in the back of a car, and left for dead somewhere by Jessica no less. It didn't make any sense. Mike had spent the drive to the storage unit, talking about how we were going to be together. Was this their plan all along or did Jessica do this on her own? I was still so confused, and my brain was tired and I hurt all over.

I knew I couldn't stay here, and the sky was growing dark. I might not have known where I was, but I knew I didn't want to be where I was when night fell. I got on my knees before pushing myself up in to a standing position, when a wave of nausea hit, and I began to vomit. It wasn't like I had much to puke up, but it was enough to leave me feeling even weaker and with a nasty taste in my mouth.

"Come on, Bella. You have to do this," I told myself after a few minutes, and I made my way toward the road and began to walk.

It felt like I'd been walking for hours before I spotted any kind of civilization, and I almost cried with relief when I saw the small gas station on the corner. I knew that I probably looked like a wreck, but I had a feeling that in this neighborhood, looking like a wreck wasn't all that uncommon.

I opened the door to the gas station and walked inside, finding the attendant sitting behind a glass partition, reading a magazine.

"Excuse me?" I asked, knocking on the glass. "Do you have a phone I could use?"

He barely glanced up from his magazine. "Payphone's in the back," he muttered.

I walked to the back and saw an out of order sign on the phone, so I made my way back to the counter.

"It's out of order. Please, it's an emergency. Can I just borrow your phone?" I begged.

"Payphone only," he said, and I knew that arguing with him would waste precious time.

Cursing and scowling, I left the gas station and continued down the road. Eventually, I came to a busier street, and I almost cried with relief when I saw a few fast food restaurants. I rushed into the nearest one, and I felt the stares from people as I made my way toward the bathroom. I really had to pee. Done with my business, I took a good look at myself as I washed my hands, and I winced at what I saw. My face was bruised from where Mike had hit me, my throat had red marks on it, and my hair was a matted mess. I looked like shit.

I combed my fingers through my hair before leaving the bathroom and making my way up to the counter.

"What can I get ya?" the bored looking kid behind the counter asked.

"Do you have a phone I can use?" I asked back.

"Is it long distance?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

I was a horrible liar, so I told him the truth that yes, it was a long distance call. The kid shook his head and told me no, and I just about crumbled. I fell into a booth near the back of the restaurant, utterly distraught, and I couldn't have stopped the tears if I'd tried.

"Excuse me, dear," I kind voice said, and I looked up to see an elderly woman standing before me.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Are you in trouble?" she asked, sitting down across from me.

I nodded as I told her I just wanted to call my dad and let him know that I was okay. Giving me a kind smile, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse and offered it to me.

"Go ahead and call your dad, sweet child. I'll be right over there when you're done," she told me, pointing to a table in the corner.

Thanking the woman, I took the cell phone from her and dialed my dad's number with trembling fingers.

"Hello?" his gruff voice said, and I lost it.

"Da—Daddy!"

"Bella! Oh, Bells! Where are you? Are you okay? Are you safe?" he asked, his voice wobbling a bit.

"I'm okay. I'm—" I paused. I didn't know where I was. Well, I knew I was in Oregon according to the license plates on the cars in the parking lot.

"I'm in Oregon," I told him after I asked the nice woman where exactly. "Portland. I'm at a McDonalds off of Barbur Boulevard."

"Don't move," Dad told me. "We'll have a couple of officers from the Portland P.D. come get you, okay?"

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "Okay. How is Edward?" I asked him because I had to know.

"He's tough," Dad said. "He lost a lot of blood and had to have surgery, but he came out of it okay."

My body sagged against the booth. Edward was going to be okay.

"And, Mike is in custody."

I hadn't expected to hear that. "Good."

Dad and I talked until the police officers showed up and took me to the station. While I was there, I went over my story with him, and then, the officer gave me something to eat and a place to rest. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, and I was woken up a couple hours later to the sound of my dad's voice.

I ran out of the room I was in and threw my arms around him and then my mom.

"Did she do this to you?" Mom asked, cupping my face and looking at the bruises.

"No, that was Mike. He hit me after I kicked him."

Dad growled and muttered that he was going to kill the boy. I told Dad that Mike wasn't worth the prison time, and besides, I was pretty sure someone in prison would be happy to do it for him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to Bella," Detective Masen said, and I was glad to see him.

For the next hour, we went over everything from Mike's phone calls, to Mike stabbing Edward, to my waking up in a building in Portland. I gave him as many details as I could, and he told me that they'd found Mike passed out in the storage unit lot.

"Once his lawyer was present, Mike confessed to everything, and he gave up Jessica as well. Apparently, he's not too happy with her," Detective Masen said with a grin.

"Maybe he finally realized that she's a fruitcake," I suggested.

"I think it has more to do with the fact that she didn't follow the plans and that she took you without his permission."

"And what about her?" I asked him hesitantly because I was fairly certain she was long gone.

"We've got her. Mike helped us catch her, believe it or not. Turned out she was a bigger threat than Mike was. I've got to say, I didn't see that coming."

"Tell me about it," I muttered.

"Rest assured though, she'll be spending a long time in prison," he told me.

"How long is a long time?"

"Possibly life. She'll be charged with conspiracy to commit a crime as well as kidnapping in the first degree, and since she crossed state lines, it makes it a federal crime. If you'd been gone much longer, chances are good the FBI would have gotten involved."

My eyebrows raised at his words. I wondered if Jessica had even thought about the consequences of her actions and what would happen to her if she were to get caught.

"What constitutes it as first degree?" I asked him out of curiosity.

"Basically, it comes down to whether Jessica had intent to inflict bodily injury or not," he answered. "And seeing as how she tasered you and left you in a dangerous area, tied up and unconscious, I'd say she meant to cause bodily harm."

"And Mike? How long will he be going away for?"

"By the time all the charges are added up, it could be anywhere between twenty and forty years. Most likely he'll get ten years alone for assault in the first degree which is what he committed when he stabbed Edward. If the prosecution can prove that he was trying to kill Edward, he'll be charged with attempted murder which holds a sentence of fifteen to twenty years."

"Jesus," I said, sitting back in my chair. "How could they be so fucking stupid?"

Detective Masen shrugged. "Who knows? I see it all the time, and I'm still amazed sometimes at what people think they can get away with."

It was a little after eleven p.m. when Mom, Dad, and I pulled into the parking lot of the hospital where Edward was. I knew that visiting hours were over, but Edward's dad had pulled some strings so that I'd be able to see him. I was mentally and physically exhausted, and Dad had suggested going home and then coming to the hospital in the morning, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep unless I could see for myself that Edward was okay.

We made our way to the floor Edward was on, and I let out a cry when I saw Jasper and Rose sitting in the waiting area. Their heads shot up, and they rushed toward me, wrapping me up in hugs. I clung to them as I assured them I was okay, and then, I asked about Edward.

"He's stable," Rose told me. "But, he hasn't woken up yet. They've got him pretty heavily sedated."

"Bella!" Alice cried out, and I turned to see her and Emmett coming my way.

The minute she got to me, Alice threw her arms around me in a hug, and I began to babble apology after apology.

"Don't apologize! This was not your fault. It was Jessica's and Mike's fault. Got it?"

"Got it," I told her as I hugged her back fiercely before being picked up in a bear hug by Emmett.

"Are you okay, Little B?" he asked me as he set me back on my feet, his gaze lingering on the bruise on my face.

"I'm fine," I told him with a watery smile. "I just need to see Edward."

"He looks really pale, but the doctor says he's going to be fine," Emmett told me as we walked toward Edward's room.

I nodded before I tentatively turned the knob and walked in. I let out a gasp when I saw him and tears filled my eyes. He looked so pale and weak lying on the bed with needles and tubes everywhere.

"He's going to be fine," a soft whisper came from behind me, and I whirled around to see a woman who had to be Edward's mother.

And once again, I felt the need to apologize for what had happened to Edward. His mother, who introduced herself as Esme and insisted I call her that, waved off my apology.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, her gaze lingering on the bruises on my face and neck.

I shrugged.

"I've had a few meltdowns since I came to, but I don't think it's really hit me yet," I admitted.

She began to speak when there was a groan from the bed, and Edward's eyes fluttered open.

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><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

Crying. There was someone crying. Why were they crying? What was going on? I let out a groan as my body was jostled about.

"Is he going to be okay?" I heard a frantic voice ask, and it sounded a lot like Alice.

"He's lost a lot of blood," an unknown male voice said, and I frowned.

What did he mean I'd lost a lot of blood? Why was I bleeding? But as soon as I thought that, it all came flooding back to me. Mike. He'd tasered me, knocking me to the ground, and then, he'd taken Bella. I'd tried to get to my feet to go after them, and then he'd come at me with a knife. I remembered watching in horror as he grasped the handle tightly, shoved the knife into my torso, yanked it out, and then walked away. Pain had raced through me like fire, and my hands went to my side, coming away stained bright red with blood. That was when I fell to the ground, Bella's name on my lips.

I watched, helpless, as Mike got into the car with Bella, and when they drove away, I'd felt a fear like I'd never felt in my life and hope I never did again. I tried to go after them and even managed to crawl a few feet before I'd begun to feel faint. After that, I'd blacked out.

But now, now I needed to get to Bella. I had to find her. She was my everything, and if that bastard hurt her, I'd never forgive myself. So, I began to struggle against whatever it was that was holding me down, and I tried to gasp out Bella's name.

"He's going into shock!" someone shouted, and I tried to tell them I needed to get to Bella.

"Bella!" I managed to shout in a hoarse whisper, and I felt someone pick up my hand.

"Edward? It's Detective Masen. Can you hear me?"

I nodded, or at least I thought I did. I couldn't really be sure.

"Do you know where Bella is?"

"Mike," I gasped out. "Mike has her."

"Sir, we need to get him to the hospital, now," the unknown voice said. "You can question him later."

Once again, my body was jostled about as I felt myself being lifted, and then, I heard the slamming of a door. After that, all I remembered was the sounds of sirens and machines beeping.

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><p>"Edward? Can you wake up for me, honey?" I heard a voice that sounded vaguely like my mom asking.<p>

I struggled a bit until I was able to open my eyes, wincing because it felt like I hand sandpaper in them. I blinked a few times until my vision cleared, and I found myself staring into my mother's tear stained face.

"Mom?"

"Oh, sweetie!" she cried, wrapping her arms around me in a gentle hug before Alice budged in and hugged me.

I looked around and saw my parents and siblings as well as Detective Masen and Bella's father. I frowned, confused as to what was going on, but I quickly realized I was in a hospital bed.

"Bella? Where's Bella?" I asked, trying to get out of the bed only to be stopped by my father.

"Let go!" I roared, wincing at the soreness in my throat. "I have to find her!"

"Edward, please calm down," Mom begged, and Detective Masen stepped forward.

"Edward, we're doing everything we can to find Bella. I promise you that. However, we need your help. I need you to walk me through what happened."

I took a deep breath before I began to speak. I told him how we'd been walking back from the cafeteria and how it had begun to rain.

"We were walking through the parking lot, and all of a sudden, something stunned me. I fell down, and then I heard someone—"

"Mike?" Chief Swan asked.

"Yeah, I heard Mike tell Bella to get in the car, and when she said no, he told her he'd hurt me worse than he had. I think she dropped her keys, but it was raining pretty hard so I'm not sure, but whatever happened, it pissed Mike off. That's when he came back and stabbed me. I don't remember much after that."

"Whose car was it?" Detective Masen asked, looking up from the notebook he'd been writing in.

"Bella's."

"And, Jessica? Where was she?"

I shook my head. "If she was there, I didn't see her. The only person I saw was Mike."

Detective Masen closed his notebook and thanked me before turning to Chief Swan.

"Does Bella's car have a GPS that we can track?"

"Yeah," Chief Swan responded, and then the two of them thanked me and took off. All I could do was hope that they found Bella in time before anything bad happened to her.

I fought to stay awake, but I soon found myself slipping back into unconsciousness. I had no idea for how long I was out, but I woke up when I heard the sweetest of voices, and I just had to lay eyes on her. It took quite a bit of effort, but groaning, I finally managed to open my eyes, and they filled with tears when I saw my girl. Her face was bruised, and there were purple hand marks on her throat that had me seeing red, but at the moment, all that mattered was that she was alive.

"My Bella," I said, and within seconds, she was rushing to the bed, tears falling from her eyes. She threw her arms around me, and I winced a bit when the bed moved, but I held on tight to her. I buried my face in her hair and stroked it as she began sobbing into my shoulder.

Eventually, she pulled away, and I wiped the tears from her face before placing a kiss on her lips. I was so fucking grateful that she was alive and with me.

My eyes fell once again to the marks on her beautiful face and throat, and a growl left my lips. Her hand reached up and cupped my cheek as she murmured that she was okay.

A few minutes later, a nurse came into my room and shooed Bella out of the way so she could check my vitals as well as my wound. Bella went and stood by my parents, watching every move the nurse made as she and my parents talked.

"Did Detective Masen let you know that they caught Mike?" Bella asked them, and my dad nodded. I hadn't known that, and I was extremely relieved to hear it.

"Yes, he called us shortly after they arrested Mike," Dad answered. "Detective Masen said they had a lead on Jessica. Did they get her?"

Bella nodded her head, and I was relieved to know that both of those psychos were off the street.

"How did they catch Mike?" I asked, holding back a yelp when the nurse prodded gently around my bandaged wound.

"He was found knocked out in the parking lot of the public storage place he had me drive to. Jessica was meeting him there, and they were supposed to subdue me and lock me in the storage unit, but Jessica had her own plan. She tasered Mike, shoved me into the trunk of her car, tied me up, and drove me to Portland. She left me in an abandoned building that was used by junkies, tied up and gagged."

I stared at her flabbergasted by what I was hearing. I couldn't believe that my cousin had kidnapped the girl I loved and had left her alone and passed out in an abandoned building.

"You could have been raped or killed! What the hell was she thinking?" Mom asked, sounding aghast.

"According to Detective Masen, Jessica thought if she got me out of the way, then Mike would be hers," Bella explained.

"Stupid girl," Mom muttered, and I agreed.

"I assume they're both facing jail time?" Dad asked her, and Bella nodded.

"From what I understand, Mike plead guilty to stalking, assault in the first degree, and kidnapping. I think they made a deal with him to get information on Jessica, but he's still looking at somewhere between ten and twenty years. As for Jessica—" Bella paused for a second. "She's looking at life in prison."

"Good," I said, my tone fierce. "I'll be glad to have both of them out of our lives. Maybe now, we can get back to normal."

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><p><strong>an: I'll see you all next Sat with the last regular chapter. *sniffles* Let me know what you thought!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! RL sometimes gets in the way. Anyway, here's the last regular chapter. Epilogue will be up next week. **

**Huge thanks to all of you for reviewing, favoriting, and just reading this story! Also, a huge thanks to Heather for her mad beta skills.**

**Oh, yeah. There's a lemon or two in here.**

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><p>"Oh, thank God! I can't wait to get out of here!" Edward exclaimed right after his doctor told him he was being released. He'd been in the hospital for over a week, and he'd been going stir crazy. I didn't blame him. It had been a long week for all of us, not to mention that there'd been very little alone time for the two of us. Edward wasn't up to much more than making out, but I still craved some one-on-one time with him.<p>

"I've got your room all made up," Esme said to him after the doctor left, and a look of surprise flashed over Edward's face.

"Oh, I was planning on going back to the dorms," he said.

Esme gave a little sigh. "I had a feeling you'd say that. I was hoping I could convince you to stay with us for a bit while you're recovering."

Edward fiddled with his shirt before finally meeting his mother's gaze. "It will be easier for me to attend classes if I'm already on campus instead of having to drive there every day."

He did have a valid point, and Esme obviously saw that.

"All right, but I expect you to call me once a day for an update," she told him, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"Seriously?" he whined but quickly shut up when Esme shot him the mother of all _mother looks_. The ones that shut you up when they're thrown your way.

"Okay," he mumbled in agreement, shooting a nasty glare at a snickering Emmett.

An hour later, Dr. Cullen, who asked me to call him Carlisle, was pulling his Mercedes into the dorm parking lot, and the four of us got out. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice had all ridden back ahead of us in Emmett's Hummer. They were waiting at the entrance of the dorms for us, and we slowly made our way up the walk.

Together, we all walked into the dormitory. I was hoping because it was close to dinner time that there would be less people around, but I was wrong. We made our way toward the elevator, noticing all of the people staring at us. Alice had informed Edward and me that the whole school was talking about what had happened and that speculations and rumors were running rampant. I honestly didn't care what they thought, but the stares were very annoying.

Once we were in Edward's room and he was settled in, his mother sat down next to him and smothered Edward with kisses, much to his embarrassment, and had the rest of us dying with laughter at how red his face got. Eventually, Carlisle pulled her off of him.

"Esme, he's fine. We'll talk to him tomorrow," he assured her. "Edward, if you start to hurt worse or think something's wrong, you call me. Understood?"

"Got it," he told his dad before hugging both his parents goodbye.

As soon as they left, he gingerly laid down on his bed, and I sat down next to him. He looked so tired, and he was still too pale for my liking.

"Get some rest," I told him, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Stay," he told me, and I agreed.

His dreams were rough that night, and neither one of us got much sleep. Edward felt awful and kept apologizing, but I told him it wasn't his fault. I'd had some pretty rough dreams myself, and Jasper had told us that Alice had been having nightmares as well.

Monday morning, we all went to breakfast together, and I swore everyone in the cafeteria was staring at us and whispering. I rolled my eyes as I took my seat next to Edward, watching as he winced when he sat down. I hated seeing my man in pain.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah," he said. I wasn't sure I believed him, but I let it go.

We ate and talked and did our best to pretend everything was normal. Of course, it wasn't, but we'd get there.

After breakfast, I went to class and took my usual seat near the front of the classroom. I'd been a bit preoccupied, catching up on some quick reading, when someone sat down beside me.

"Is it true?" a girl I vaguely recognized asked me.

"Is what true?" I asked in a bored voice.

"That your boyfriend tried to mug some guy in the parking lot and got stabbed in return."

I let out a snort, never looking up from my book. "No."

"Well then," she said, scooting her chair closer to me. "What did happen?"

I finally looked over at her and purposely scooted my chair as far away from the girl as I could get. "It's none of your business."

"Oh, come on," she finally said with an eye roll. "Everybody's talking about it. It's not like it's a secret or anything."

"Well, if everybody's talking about it, why don't you ask them what happened?" I responded.

"Because I'm asking you," she said rudely.

"And, I'm telling you it's none of your business," I told her in a cold voice, clenching my pen so tightly my fingers were starting to hurt.

"So it is true, then?"

I didn't comment because I was sure that she was trying to rile me up, and I refused to give in to her. Not that it stopped her. For the next couple of minutes, she kept pestering me, and I continued to ignore her.

"God, you're so fucking annoying, Heidi! Leave the girl alone," a guy said from the row behind me.

"Oh, fuck off, Alec!" Heidi said, turning around to scowl at the guy behind us.

Thankfully, she left me alone once class started, and when it was over, I thanked the guy who'd been sitting behind me.

"No thanks needed. She's a horrible gossip and loves to stick her nose in other people's business. I'm Alec by the way," he said, holding out his hand.

"Bella," I told him, shaking his hand.

We talked a bit as we walked out of the classroom, and I was a bit surprised to see Edward sitting in the hallway on a bench. His arms were crossed over his chest, and there was a scowl on his face.

"Hey," I said, sitting down next to him. "I thought you'd gone back to your room."

"Obviously," he sneered, and I was a bit taken back by the attitude I heard in his voice. I knew he hadn't been sleeping well and had become prone to nightmares, but that was no reason for him to get all snippy with me.

"Who is he?" he asked, jerking his chin in Alec's direction.

"His name's Alec. He's in my class, and he saved me from this girl who was pestering me about what happened to you."

"Great, so he's your knight in shining armor?" he asked, standing up and shoving his hands into his pockets.

I couldn't figure out where this jealousy was coming from, and it was beginning to not only annoy me but also left me a bit shocked. This behavior was so out of character for him, and all I could think was that he was suffering from some sort of PSTD or something.

"No, he's just a guy who helped me out," I explained. "What's going, Edward?"

"Nothing," he scowled as he began to walk down the hallway, leaving me to run after him. It didn't take me long to catch up with him, and when I did, I grabbed his arm and pulled him into an empty classroom. I shut the door and leaned against it, crossing my arms over my chest. We weren't leaving until we talked this out. Whatever_ this _was.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said with his back turned to me. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd wait for you and then walk you to your next class."

A class for which I was now going to be late.

"Okay, so what's with the attitude?"

"It's stupid," he muttered, and I left my spot at the door and walked over to him.

"Talk to me, please," I pleaded.

Edward finally lifted his head and looked at me, and I was surprised to see shame lurking in his eyes.

"I'm being stupid," he told me. "There was this girl who came out of your class and mentioned to her friend how you were flirting with some guy. Add in the fact that I haven't been sleeping well, and I feel like I failed to protect you, and, and, and. I hate feeling this way. Like I have no control over my emotions. I'm so sorry I'm acting like an ass. I'm a bit of a mess, and my head isn't on straight."

I instantly knew it was that Heidi chick, and she'd done it on purpose to try and cause trouble because I wouldn't answer her stupid question.

"You know I'd never do that. Never! I love you!"

"You do?" he asked, and I realized that I'd never told him that. Granted, he hadn't said the words either, but he called me love all the time, and he certainly showed me how much I was loved.

"Very much," I told him, reaching up to cup his cheek. "I'm sorry I haven't told you before. I'm in love with you Edward Cullen."

"Thank God," he said with a sigh, leaning his forehead against mine. "I love you so fucking much."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, I slammed my mouth against his, catching him up in a fierce kiss. Hearing those words coming from him sent me into overdrive.

It started off sweet and gentle, but it soon morphed into heat and passion, and I desperately wanted him. I moaned into his mouth when his tongue swept against mine, and then, he nipped my bottom lip. I delved my fingers into his hair and moved closer, wanting to feel all of him. I probably would have attempted to molest him then and there, but the clocktower in the courtyard chimed, scaring the shit out of me.

"Sorry," he said with a small grin as we pulled apart. "I didn't mean to make you late for your class."

I shrugged. I shouldn't be missing classes, but it was so worth it.

"Well, since I have a free hour, want to go back to your room? It'll give you a chance to properly apologize to me." I said, and a huge smile lit up his face.

"Hell, yes."

Less than ten minutes later, we were in his room and on his bed, the alarm on his phone set so he'd have time to get to his class. Our lips melded together as our tongues stroked and teeth nibbled. It didn't take long before both of our shirts were off and on the floor, but I sobered when I saw the white bandage against his skin.

Edward sensed the change in me right away and pulled me close to his uninjured side.

"I'm okay. It hurts, not gonna lie, but I'm fine."

"Promise?"

"Yes," he said, kissing my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then my lips.

Once I was reassured that he was okay, we picked up where we'd left off, and his hands began to roam. I let out a moan when his warm hand cupped my breast. It had been far too long since he'd touched me, and I'd been craving it.

It wasn't long before his lips followed his hands, and I was so incredibly turned on. I ran my hand down the side of his chest, careful to stay away from his injury, until I came to the waistband of his jeans. I slowly unbuttoned them and gently tugged the zipper down, reaching in to cup him through his boxers. His hips rose up, and he let out a low moan as I began to stroke him.

"More," he whispered, and I helped him remove his pants and boxers, leaving him bare.

God, I loved looking at him. He was so fucking gorgeous, and I loved every inch of him.

I ran my hand up and down his length, stroking him harder and harder and listening to his moans of appreciation. Eventually, touching him wasn't enough. I needed to taste him, and I knew he wouldn't object.

I moved so that I was kneeling between his spread thighs, and I leaned down to pepper kisses amongst them, all while running my fingers over his cock.

"Enough teasing," he growled, diving his fingers into my hair and guiding my head toward his erection.

I grasped him in one hand holding him tightly to the base before licking the head of his cock, humming at the taste, as I took him as deep as I could. He let out a shout, his hips rising, and I smiled around him. I loved that I could drive him crazy.

Slowly, I let him pop out of my mouth before pressing the head of his cock against his belly and rubbing the underside of his shaft with my palm and then my tongue.

"Holy shit, Bella!" Edward roared, and I smirked. I'd done some research on blowjobs, and I'd read that the underside of the shaft was sensitive, so I decided to give it a try. Apparently, Edward liked it.

Grasping him more firmly, I sank my mouth down on him, taking him as deep as I could without gagging. I hollowed my cheeks and began sucking. Within moments, he was roaring my name as he spilled into my throat.

"Jesus, woman!" he whimpered. "I think you've killed me."

I smiled smugly as I moved to his good side and curled up against him. One of his hands made its way down my back, squeezing my ass, before continuing his journey down to rub my cupping my swollen bundle of nerves.

"My turn," he said, rolling me onto my back.

I was more than ready for him to reciprocate, but we both jumped when his alarm went off, and I let out a groan.

"Sorry, baby," he said, dropping a kiss to my mouth.

I pouted as he left the bed and put his boxers and pants back on. I knew he needed to go to class, but I hated being all worked up.

"Walk me to class?" he asked with a sweet smile.

"Of course," I told him.

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><p>"Spring break is in two weeks," Alice informed us at dinner the next night as if we weren't aware.<p>

"So, where are we going?" Emmett asked her, and she shrugged.

"With everything that's happened, I haven't had much time to think about it lately, so I'm up for ideas."

"Alaska," Emmett suggested, and we all turned to stare at him.

"What?" he asked with a shrug. "It's supposed to be beautiful."

Alice shook her head. "I want to go somewhere warm."

California, Florida, and South Carolina were thrown out, and a huge discussion broke out on the pros and cons of each.

"What about Phoenix?" I suggested, and all eyes turned to me.

I squirmed, a bit uncomfortable that they were all staring at me.

"What?" I asked defensively. "It was only a suggestion."

"A great one," Edward said, and the others nodded in agreement.

A little while later, we were all convened in Edward and Jasper's room, and Alice was on the floor with her notebook and laptop. She was making a list of all the places she wanted to go and the activities she wanted to do. While she was doing that, Jasper was researching ticket prices, and when he rattled off the prices, my heart sank. I couldn't afford a three hundred dollar plane ticket, not to mention a hotel. I hadn't been thinking about any of that when I'd suggested going to Phoenix.

"What's wrong?" Edward whispered in my ear.

"I don't think I can afford the ticket," I whispered back. "And, I don't want to ask my mom and dad. They've already helped me out so much."

"I can pay for it," he told me, and I shook my head. I didn't want him buying me plane tickets or expensive gifts.

"Bella, please. Let me do this," he pleaded, jutting out his bottom lip in a pout. I tried to resist, but I failed. I couldn't deny the man anything.

"Fine," I sighed. "But, I'm paying for my half of the hotel room plus my food."

"Okay," he agreed quickly, and I narrowed my eyes at him. He'd agreed yoo quickly, and I had a feeling he'd try and pay for things once we were there.

Two weeks later, we were boarding an early flight out of Seattle to Phoenix, flying first class. I'd been appalled to find that Edward had spent the money for first class seats, but he'd told me they always flew first class.

"I've got long legs, and I need the room to stretch them out," he explained once we were seated and our seat belts were fastened.

I let out a snort. "Right."

"It's true," Emmett chimed in from behind us. "Us tall dudes need the leg room."

I rolled my eyes. Personally, I think they were just a bit spoiled, but not in a bad way.

It was a quick flight, lasting a little over two hours, and soon, we were landing at the Phoenix airport. A smile crossed my face as I took in the sun shining high in the sky, and I couldn't wait to feel it on my face. The past couple of weeks in Seattle had been cloudy and rainy, and the sun was a welcome sight.

We grabbed our bags from the overhead compartments, then made our way through the airport to the taxi pickup area . None of us were old enough to rent a car, and we really didn't need one. Taxis, buses, and walking would do just fine. Plus, our hotel was in the center of the city near plenty of the sights.

"Wow, this place is awesome!" Emmett boomed as we walked into the lobby of our hotel. I swear the man didn't know how to be quiet, and I grinned when both Alice and Rose swatted him on the arm.

Before long, Edward and I were carrying our bags into our room. It made me giddy to realize that I was on vacation with my boyfriend and sharing a hotel room with him. I felt a bit silly that something so simple as sharing a hotel room made me feel so grownup.

"I give Alice about ninety seconds before she comes pounding on the door and demanding that we follow her schedule," Edward said with a grin as he laid back on the bed.

I let out a snort. He wasn't kidding. Alice had printed out itineraries and given them to us on the plane. She said that if we followed it, we would optimize our time and be able to see everything on the list. As soon as Alice had returned back to her seat, Edward had crumbled his itinerary up and shoved it into the pocket of the seat in front of us. I'd shoved mine in the bottom of my backpack. I loved Alice, but I wasn't going to follow her schedule.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, there was a knock on our door, and I opened it to find Alice and the rest of our gang. Once they'd sprawled themselves all over our room, Alice pulled out her phone and began to rattle off our schedule for the day. Emmett heaved a sigh, Rose rolled her eyes, and Jasper looked slightly annoyed.

"Alice?" I interrupted.

"Huh?" she asked, not looking up from her phone.

"Why don't we go downstairs and get some brunch, and then, we can decide what to do with the rest of our day?" I suggested.

"Bella—" she began with a frown before being interrupted by Emmett.

"Great idea, Little B. I'm starving!"

Alice spent the majority of brunch pouting until Jasper whispered something in her ear. I don't know what he said, but it worked, and she apologized before asking what we wanted to do. It was a beautiful day out, so I suggested the zoo and the Desert Botanical Gardens since they were close to each other. Everyone agreed, so once brunch was done, we made our way outside.

"We can catch the light rail which has a station about a mile from the zoo. From there, we can either take the bus or walk."

We spent three hours at the zoo, looking at all of the animals and exhibits and taking a ton of pictures. Before we left, we stopped at the gift shop, and I thought Alice was going to buy the place out. She bought everything from magnets to t-shirts to stuffed animals. I tried to remind her that she was going to have lug all that stuff with her through the botanical gardens, but she wouldn't listen. I didn't buy anything since I'd been there before, but Edward did. He bought me a stuffed rhino, despite my protests, and a shirt for himself.

"Why don't we head back to the hotel, get lunch, and lounge around the pool?" Jasper suggested as we left the zoo, carrying Alice's bags. "We can always do the botanical gardens tomorrow."

After a nice lunch, we went up to our rooms to change, agreeing to meet each other at the pool.

"Alone at last," Edward said with a grin, pulling me down onto the bed with him once we were in our room.

All thoughts of going swimming left my mind, and I got lost in Edward's kisses. We hadn't made love in weeks, and I was so fucking desperate for him. Oh, we'd fooled around plenty, but when we'd tried to make love last week, his side had hurt a bit too much for him to be comfortable and enjoy what we were doing.

"How's that side feeling?" I asked as I straddled him.

"Like I'm able to make love to my girl," he said, leaning up to nip my lower lip before he began to tug my shirt over my head.

It didn't take long before we were both naked, and I was so ready for him that foreplay wasn't even needed. We both let out moans as he slipped inside, and I took a moment to just enjoy the feel of him before I began moving. I started off slow, teasing both of us into a frenzy, and then, Edward's hands gripped my hips tight.

"Faster," he grunted, and I eagerly complied, moving my hips up and down.

It didn't take long for me to come once Edward's fingers lightly danced over my nub, and I cried out his name, careful not to collapse on him.

"Oh, I'm not done with you yet," he growled before flipping us over and renewing his thrusts.

His mouth claimed mine as he drilled into me, and I broke my mouth away to take in gulps of air. The man was fucking killing me.

"So fucking close," he said through gritted teeth as he sped up, and his thrusts became erratic. With a roar ,he spilled into me, triggering my own orgasm.

He collapsed on top of me, and I wrapped my arms around his sweaty back, holding him close. God, I'd missed making love with him.

"Love you," he said, leaning up on his elbows and planting a kiss on my lips.

"Love you, too," I told him, knowing I'd never get tired of hearing him say those words.

"Want to bet Alice has blown up my phone with texts?" he asked as he rolled off of me and flopped onto his back.

"She's probably blown mine up to," I said, climbing off the bed and walking over to the bureau where our phones were.

Sure enough, we each had multiple texts not only from Alice but from Emmett as well. His texts were more a bit crude, but I wasn't surprised in the least.

We took a quick shower, threw on our bathing suits, and made our way down to the pool. As we lounged around in the sun, I looked over at Edward and knew our future was going to be fantastic.

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><p><strong>an: As always, I love to hear your thoughts on the chapter. I'll see you next Sat/Sun with the epilogue!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: *sobs* This is the end. I hope that you've enjoyed the story because I've loved writing it. I'll be taking a minor break from writing until my newest story starts in July. In the meantime, I'll be posting an un-beta'd story that's been posted on Wattpad for a year or so, but hasn't been on here.**

**I can't thank you all enough for the love you've given this story! Thank you so much! Huge, huge thanks to Heather for her awesome beta skills and ideas! She made this story so much better!**

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><p><strong>2 Years Later<strong>

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked quietly as we left the plane that had just landed in Phoenix. It had become something of a tradition for all of us to vacation in Phoenix for spring break ever since our first trip here.

"A bit queasy," I admitted, and I felt like I needed to sit down.

"Here," Edward said, leading me over to a row of chairs, and I sat down putting my head between my knees.

Three weeks ago, we'd found out I was pregnant. It had come as a huge shock to both of us because we were always careful, but obviously we hadn't been careful enough. I'd gotten sick about three months ago and had been put on antibiotics. Apparently, birth control pills and antibiotics didn't mix well.

After the doctor had informed me I was expecting, I'd burst into tears, upset and scared. We were seniors in college, and neither of us was ready for a baby. I'd gotten back to the apartment we shared, and I crawled into bed, bawling. Edward came home from class and found me like that.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worry written all over his face.

I was sobbing so hard, I couldn't get the words out, and that only terrified him even more. He sat down on the bed, pulling me onto his lap.

"Please, talk to me!" he begged, and I took a deep breath as I tried to calm myself.

"I'm pregnant," I blurted out, and Edward's face was one of shock.

"What?" he asked, staring at me as if I'd lost my mind.

"I'm pregnant," I repeated before bursting into tears again. I was so afraid he was going to hate me for fucking everything up.

The next few minutes were the longest in my life. He was dead silent, and I made to move off of his lap, but he tightened his grip on me and wouldn't let me go.

"Are you sure?" he finally asked, and I nodded.

He blew out a breath before placing a kiss on the top of my head.

"Okay. So, what are we going to do next?" he asked me, pulling away to look at me. "I mean, do you want to keep the baby?"

"Yes!" I said, vehemently. I loved the baby already, and there was no way I was giving him or her up.

"Okay," Edward said, placing his hand over my stomach, a look of awe coming over his face.

"We made a baby," he whispered.

"Is Bella okay?" I heard Alice ask, interrupting my flashback.

"She's fine," Edward said a bit curtly, and I squeezed his hand.

"I'm okay, Alice. I promise," I told her, looking over at her and Jasper. None of the others knew I was pregnant, but I knew we'd have to tell them soon. I just didn't want to do it in an airport waiting area.

"Are you sure?" Alice asked. "You look really pale."

"I'm fine," I stressed, but I could tell she didn't believe me.

By the time we arrived at the hotel, I was feeling better and back to my normal self. That's the way it seemed to go. One second I'd be sick, and the next, I'd be fine. My moods were like that as well, and I felt bad when poor Edward got stuck in the middle of my mood swings.

"We have to tell them," I said to Edward as we unpacked our bags.

"I know," he replied, letting out a small groan as someone knocked on our door.

I opened it to let Alice and Jasper in, and she sat down on the edge of our bed, staring hard at me.

"Spill," she demanded.

I looked at Edward and then back to Jasper and her.

"I'm pregnant."

Both of their mouths dropped open, and then, Alice let out a squeal that could be heard by dogs everywhere. She threw herself at me, giving me a huge hug before letting go of me and hugging Edward.

"Oh my God! This is so exciting!" she exclaimed, and I smiled.

"More like terrifying," I replied as I accepted Jasper's hug and congratulations.

"This wasn't exactly planned," Edward said, running a hand through his hair. "We're telling Mom and Dad as well as Bella's parents when we get back."

"Chief Swan is going to kill you," Jasper said, and I shot him a dirty look. We were scared enough as it was, and telling our parents wasn't exactly going to be a picnic.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that," Edward growled.

"Do Rose and Emmett know?" Alice asked us, and we shook our heads as I told them they were the first of our friends to know.

Emmett and Rose had graduated last year, gotten married, and had moved into a beautiful three bedroom house in a good neighborhood that had been a wedding gift from Esme and Carlisle. Emmett was working as a high school math teacher while Rose was working at a high-end auto restoration shop. We didn't get to see them as often as we used to, and due to their work schedules, they weren't able to come to Phoenix with us this year.

"So, when are you getting married?" Alice asked me a few hours later as we lounged by the pool while the boys swam.

"What?"

"Well, you guys are getting married, right?"

"Eventually," I told her.

Alice pulled her sunglasses off and stared at me.

"What do you mean eventually? You're having a baby!"

"I'm well aware of that, Alice, but just because we're having a baby doesn't mean we have to get married right away."

"Don't you want to marry Edward?"

I rolled my eyes at the stupidity of her question. "Of course, I do, but we'll do it when we're both ready and not just because a baby's on the way."

She shot me a look of disbelief that seemed tinged with anger, but I ignored it. It was our decision to make, not hers.

A week later, Edward and I drove to my parents' house. I figured it was better to tell them in person as opposed to over the phone. We'd go to his parents' house and let them know when we got back from Forks.

We were both a nervous wreck as we pulled into my parents' driveway, and I felt sick. I was so afraid my parents would think badly of us, and I didn't want them to be disappointed in me. Edward figured they'd be more than understanding, especially since they'd had me early, but I wasn't so sure that was going to work in our favor.

"Ready?" Edward asked in a strangled voice, and I shook my head. Of course, I wasn't ready.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my car door and got out, Edward taking my hand as we made our way up the walk and up onto the front porch. I knocked on the door and gave my mom a nervous smile when she opened it. I'd called ahead to let them know we were coming.

"Bella! Edward! Come in, come in," she said, reaching out and giving me a huge hug. I hugged her back, and when she pulled away, there was a strange look on her face. I had a feeling that she knew something was up.

Mom led us into the living room where Dad was watching ESPN in his recliner. He turned the TV off when we walked into the room, and I gave him a nervous as smile as Edward and I took a seat on the couch.

Edward rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and I opened my mouth a few times before shutting it. I looked over at Edward, and he reached for my hand and clasped it tightly in his. Turning to my parents, I decided to just spit it out, like ripping off a Band-Aid.

"We're pregnant."

The room went silent, and I could barely look at my parents. A range of emotions flooded their faces. Everything from anger to disappointment to acceptance.

"Are you happy about it?" Dad asked a few moments later, and we both nodded.

"And what about school?" Mom asked.

"The baby's not due until August, so we'll both graduate just like we planned," Edward said, his voice tense and his palm sweaty against mine.

Dad stroked his moustache as he listened before speaking again.

"Well, I would have preferred that you be older and married, but Rennie and I will do what we can to help out," Dad said, and I sighed with relief.

Our talk the next day with Esme and Carlisle went much the same. They expressed the same wishes my parents had, regarding us being older and married, but they were also excited for us.

By the time graduation rolled around, I was five and a half months pregnant and so ready for school to be over with. Hell, I was ready for the graduation ceremony to be over with. I was hot, uncomfortable, and stuck in the back of the auditorium, thanks to my last name beginning with the letter "S."

Two and a half hours later, it was finally over, and I was reunited with Edward. He'd graduated with a degree in music and a minor in education, and I'd graduated with my degree in psychology.

"How you doing?" he asked, rubbing a hand over my growing belly.

"Better, now that I'm not melting to death," I told him as we waited for Jasper and the rest of the Hale family to join us. We were going out to dinner with all of our parents plus Rose and Emmett to celebrate graduation.

Detective Masen had also been invited to our graduation. We'd kept in touch with him over the years, and I knew we would continue to stay in touch. He'd become part of the family, and he and my dad had become the best of friends. Oh, they'd been friends before, but now, they were as thick as thieves. They often spent weekends fishing, and more often than not, they'd drag Carlisle along with them.

Detective Masen also kept us up to date on what was going on with Mike and Jessica. Not that there was much to keep up with. They were both locked away and would be for a long time. Jessica was in a maximum security women's prison and was serving a life sentence with no chance of parole.

Edward had gone to see her last year at her request, and it hadn't gone well. He'd thought that perhaps she'd wanted to apologize, but that hadn't been the case at all. She'd decided to try and appeal her case, and all she'd wanted to do was yell at Edward and accuse us of lying because we hated her.

In the end, her appeal had been flat out denied. The evidence presented against her had been damning, not to mention that Mike had testified against her.

As far as Mike went, he was also in a maximum security prison and serving a sentence of twenty-five to life with a chance of parole. I had been upset knowing that he could possibly be let out in ten years or so due to good behavior, but Detective Masen had told me he wouldn't allow that to happen. That he'd go to every parole hearing if he had to.

"Come with me for a moment," Edward said, taking my hand in his, and we walked over to a large oak tree and stood beneath the shade.

"What's wrong?" I asked, reaching up to touch his face which had just become incredibly serious.

"Nothing's wrong," he promised, placing a gentle kiss on my lips. "I promise."

"Okay, so …."

"Bella Swan, will you marry me?" he asked, his hands cupping my face while he stared into my eyes that had widened a bit at his question.

"Yes," I told him despite the fact that he already knew the answer. We'd talked a lot about getting married since we'd found out about the baby, and we'd both decided to wait and get married after we graduated.

"Excellent," he said with a huge smile before placing a long kiss on my lips at the same time that he slid a beautiful ring on my finger.

"About time!" I heard Emmett yell, and I rolled my eyes as I kept my lips pressed to Edward's. I knew Emmett was joking, but my not marrying Edward right away had been a bone of contention between Alice and me, and we had a couple of arguments because of it.

Ending our kiss, we walked hand in hand toward our friends and families where we were hugged and congratulated.

Over dinner, Alice went into wedding planner mode and started spouting off dates, times, places, and so on. I tuned her out, for the most part, but Edward didn't.

"Alice," he said with a weary sigh. "We just got engaged. Let us have time to enjoy that. Besides, don't you have your own wedding to plan?"

Alice and Jasper had gotten engaged over Christmas and were planning a September wedding. She was going all out. It was going to be an insanely over-the-top wedding, and I'd even heard rumors of a horse drawn carriage. It was no wonder her wedding was taking so long to plan.

"Weddings take months to plan, Edward," she told him.

"Not ours. It's going to be simple," he explained to her.

She opened her mouth to say more, but Esme shook her head. "Leave them alone, Alice."

* * *

><p>Three months later, Edward and I were married in a small ceremony in Esme and Carlisle's backyard. Being eight months pregnant, I opted for a cute summer dress while Edward was smartly dressed in a white polo and khaki shorts. Amazingly enough, Alice hadn't thrown a fit when it came to our outfits. As a matter of fact, she was the one who suggested a white summer dress for me after I'd broken down in tears at a bridal shop after trying on gowns.<p>

"Happy?" Edward asked me as we danced slowly on the lawn.

"Absolutely," I told him, smiling as I leaned up to place a kiss on his lips.

Just like they had done with Emmett and Rose, Esme and Carlisle had bought us a house. Right after we'd gotten engaged, they'd taken us house hunting, and we'd fallen in love with the first house we'd seen. It was a gorgeous yellow house with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a great backyard. We'd looked at others, but in the end, we'd come back to it. It was about twenty minutes from Esme and Carlisle and only five minutes from Em and Rose.

Alice and Jasper were moving to New York City after their wedding, and I was going to miss them terribly. Alice had gotten a job working as a personal shopper at Macy's, and Jasper was going to work on his Ph. D. at Columbia University, so Esme and Carlisle had bought them a condo.

As far as jobs went, I'd been working at the local library part-time, but I'd quit last month. Edward had applied for several teaching jobs in the area, and with a little help from his parents' connections, he'd gotten hired at one of the most lucrative private schools in the area. He'd be teaching music for fifth through twelfth grades. I was so excited for him.

After talking it over with Edward, I'd decided to take a year off before going back for my Master's Degree in counseling. I'd spend that year with the baby and then go back to school.

"I love you, Mrs. Cullen," Edward said as we climbed into his Volvo after saying goodbye to everyone.

"I love you too, Mr. Cullen."

* * *

><p><strong>Six Years after graduation - EPOV<strong>

"It's snack time, Daddy!" my first born, six year old Hannah, hollered as she came running into the kitchen.

"So it is," I said, glancing at the clock on the microwave.

"I want vanilla pudding, and Emma told me that I could have hers," she told me, batting her little eyes at me.

Considering that Emma was only eight months old, I highly doubted she'd told Hannah anything of the sort. Although, listening to Hannah have conversations with Emma was always entertaining.

"Well, I'm afraid that's not going to happen. You can have one vanilla pudding cup," I told her as I finished washing up the dishes in the sink.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Bella had gone out with my mom and Rose to buy baby clothes for the boy that Rose was a few months away from delivering, leaving me in charge of our two little ones.

"But, Daddy!" Hannah whined. "Emma said I could have hers!"

I gave her a look as she sat down at the table. "You'll have one, or you'll have none."

"Fine," she sulked as I went to the fridge and took out the small pudding cup. I set it down in front of her along with a spoon and some napkins.

"I'll be right back," I told Hannah as I heard Emma fussing over the baby monitor that was in my back pocket.

I ran upstairs and scooped my baby girl out of her crib, smiling into her little face. She was the spitting image of Bella with her brown hair and brown eyes.

I quickly changed her, put a little dress on her, and hurried back downstairs with Emma on my hip. I didn't trust Hannah alone in the kitchen for long. She was a bit of a troublemaker, and sure enough, I walked into the kitchen and found Hannah with an extra pudding cup in her hand, and a deer caught in the headlights look on her face.

"Put it back," I told her.

Her lower lip trembled and tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at me. It took everything I had not to give in to her, but I couldn't.

"Now, Hannah, or you can sit on the time-out step."

She huffed as she put the pudding back in the fridge, but then, her face lit up when she heard the front door open.

"Mommy's home!"

"Oh, thank God," I sighed, and Emma babbled her agreement.

"Someone's been eating pudding," Bella taking in the mess on Hannah's face as she hugged her.

"Emma told me I could have hers, but Daddy wouldn't let me," Hannah complained, and Bella shot me a grin as I walked into the living room.

"Daddy was right," she told Hannah as she stood up and gave me a kiss.

I sometimes found it hard to believe that we'd been married for six years and had two beautiful little girls. I was still teaching, and I loved it, and Bella had graduated two years ago with her Master's in counseling, and she now worked for the city as a children's counselor.

"Rose wants to know if we want to go over to their place tomorrow for a cook out."

"Sure," I told her which had Hannah cheering.

She loved hanging out at Uncle Em and Aunt Rosie's house. It meant she got to play with her cousin, Maddie, who was a year younger than her.

"Oh, I also talked to Alice," Bella went on to say. "She and Jasper are coming in next week. Apparently, she has something she wants to tell us in person."

"Do you think they're pregnant?" I asked her, but she shook her head.

"I don't think so. Alice has said more than once that she doesn't want children right now. Maybe it has something to do with her career."

Jasper and Alice had decided to put off having children until Jasper was done with his Ph.D. I also knew that Alice was tired of working for famous designers and was eager to make her mark in the fashion world, so Bella just might be right.

A week later, we were all going to gather at my parents' house much to my daughters' delight. They loved going to Nana and PopPop's house because they knew my parents would spoil them and sneak them treats. What my girls didn't know was that their Grams and Papa were coming up as well. Bella's parents had become best friends with my own, and they'd often come up to Seattle and hang out with my folks.

"Momma?" Hannah asked from the backseat.

"Yes, baby?"

"Can we listen to Elsa?" she asked, and I let out a groan. We'd seen and listened to _Frozen_ a million and one times, and I was sick to death of it.

"Sure baby," Bella replied, smacking me lightly on the shoulder when I groaned again.

"It's a twenty minute drive, Edward. You'll survive."

"Yeah, Daddy. You'll survive," Hannah repeated back.

Twenty minutes of _Frozen_ hell later, we were pulling into my parents' driveway. It was packed with cars, and Hannah let out a squeal when she saw Renee and Charlie's car. She couldn't wait to get out of the car to see them, and as soon as I set her down on the ground, she took off running into the house, yelling for her grandparents.

"Want to go see your grandparents?" Bella asked Emma as she settled her on her hip.

Emma babbled as she nodded her head before resting it on Bella's shoulder and grasping a tiny fistful of Bella's hair. I couldn't help but run a hand over both of my girls' hair before we made our way inside.

We had a great time eating and catching up as our kids and Maddie ran around my parents' backyard.

"So, what is it that you wanted to tell us?" I finally asked Alice, curiosity getting the better of me.

"So impatient," she tutted at me.

"C'mon, spill, pixie," Emmett demanded, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm going to be on Project Runway!" she burst out, and Bella, Rose, and Esme all squealed. I had no idea what the hell Project Runway was, but it was apparently a very big deal.

"It's a reality show for fashion designers," Jasper explained to those of us that were clueless.

"Very cool," I said, giving Alice a hug.

"You do realize that you'll have to watch it once it airs, right?" Bella asked as she sat down next to me.

I grimaced. I hated all reality shows. "I'll just read the recaps."

Bella raised an eyebrow at me and informed me I'd do no such thing. Emmett, Jasper, and I all shot each other looks of pain as we realized we'd be forced to watch this show. But, it was for Alice, so I guess I could manage it.

* * *

><p>A year later and a half later, I'd suffered through more episodes of <em>Project Runway<em> than I'd cared to watch, but I'd gotten a kick out of seeing Alice on TV. She hadn't won the show, but she'd come in second, and that had been thrilling for all of us. She'd won a bit of money and had gotten a job working for Michael Kors, who I was told was some hotshot designer. It made me realize that the chance of Alice and Jasper coming back to Washington was slim.

"How do you feel about the number three?" Bella asked me, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked over at her. She was laying on her stomach in our bed, reading a book.

"Um, it's a fine number," I replied, wondering where she was going with this.

She closed her book and rolled over on her side, curling up next to me.

"So, if I told you we were going to have baby number three, you'd be fine with that?"

The TV remote fell out of my hand, and I turned to look at her. We hadn't actively been trying for another baby, but I couldn't have been happier.

"I'm more than fine with that," I told her with a huge smile before leaning down to plant a deep kiss on her lips.

Life didn't get any better than this.

* * *

><p><strong>an: The End. Now, I'm off to start writing the newest story which will begin posting sometime in July. Once again, thank you all so much!**


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